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There are about a million and a half broccoli and cheese soup recipes out there. You may be wondering why you need me to tell you how to make broccoli cheese soup. Well, the recipes I’ve seen tend to use flour as a thickener, have a long list of ingredients, or just take a while to prepare. Today I’m sharing my quick and simple version of easy broccoli cheese soup, which you can make in only 20 minutes. And, it happens to be a keto low carb broccoli cheese soup, too!
This easy broccoli cheese soup recipe was originally published back in 2016 and updated in July 2019. But, I have since changed the post so much. I’ve added plenty of tips to help you make the best broccoli cheese soup ever, plus I’ve taken new pictures. Since it has also been possibly the most popular recipe I’ve ever made, I’m sharing it again today.
The beauty of this gluten-free broccoli cheddar soup is that everyone seems to love it, whether they are eating low carb or not. And if you’re just beginning your journey on how to start a low carb diet plan, all the better to try a keto soup that the rest of your family will gladly eat, too. (The sodium and potassium will help avoid keto flu, too!)
It also happens to be healthy and perfect for clean eating, but that’s just a bonus. You don’t have to be following any special diet at all to enjoy this easy broccoli cheddar soup recipe.
Simple Broccoli and Cheese Soup
This easy, creamy low carb broccoli cheese soup is probably the easiest recipe you’ll find. It’s also gluten-free, healthy, and can be vegetarian by substituting vegetable broth for the chicken broth. I’ve even made it with bone broth before to incorporate the benefits of that.
You’ll love that it takes just twenty minutes to prepare, so you can totally throw it together at the last minute on a busy weeknight. It’s also an excellent choice as a starter for guests coming over without spending a lot of extra time.
It requires just a few (five!) simple ingredients. Best of all, they are so common that, chances are, you have most of them on hand.
Yep, broccoli and cheese soup with only five ingredients. Are you intrigued? All you need is:
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Heavy cream
- Chicken broth
- Shredded cheddar cheese
To be fair, this makes a very basic broccoli soup recipe. The ingredients and flavors are not complex.
This is intentional! I wanted to keep it simple so that it’s very accessible to just about anyone.
If you want to change it up, see my tips below on what to add to broccoli cheddar soup.
How To Make Broccoli Cheese Soup
Ready to see how to make broccoli cheese soup without added carbs or weird ingredients? It’s super simple, just a few easy steps:
- Saute garlic in a large pot or Dutch oven. It takes about 45-60 seconds, until fragrant.
- Add chicken broth, heavy cream, and chopped broccoli. Simmer until the broccoli is tender, about 10-20 minutes.
TIP: The simmer time will vary depending on the size of your florets. Smaller florets = faster simmer time.
- Add the shredded cheddar cheese gradually, stirring constantly, and continue to stir until melted. This will help thicken the soup.
TIP: Avoid having the heat too high when adding the cheese or after, to avoid seizing. See more tips about how to make broccoli cheese soup perfectly, without carbs and without clumping, below.
OR, go with my preferred method to avoid clumping altogether…
- Puree the broccoli into the soup along with the cheddar cheese using an immersion blender. I like to remove about 1/3 the florets using a slotted spoon first, so that you can toss the florets back in afterward and have some broccoli pieces in your soup.
TIP: The more broccoli you leave in before pureeing, the thicker your broccoli soup will be. The cheese helps thicken your broccoli cheddar soup, but the pureed broccoli florets will, too!
If you’re curious about what my older pictures of homemade broccoli cheese soup looked like, here is one:
This rich broccoli cheese soup is quick and easy with just 5 ingredients!
Customizing Healthy Broccoli Cheese Soup
Once you’ve mastered the basic process, it’s so easy to customize it. Try adding:
- Your favorite spices (my fave is Italian seasoning!)
- Other veggies, like cauliflower, bell peppers or onions
- Shredded chicken
- Cooked bacon
- Sun-dried tomatoes
The possibilities are endless!
TIP: Go easy on anything that has added salt, like bacon. The broccoli soup is already salty to begin with, due to the cheese and broth.
You’ll also have an easier time with the cheese if you add any other ingredients after the cheese melts first. Otherwise, the cheese might stick to the add-ins and have issues melting.
Alternatively, if your other add-ins need to cook, temporarily remove them with a slotted spoon at the end, melt in the cheese, and then return them to the pot.
How To Thicken Broccoli Cheddar Soup Naturally
Believe it or not, the thickener in this gluten-free broccoli cheese soup is simply cheese. No flour, starches, or artificial thickeners are necessary for this one.
The heavy cream also reduces as it cooks, which helps very slightly with thickening. For this reason, I wouldn’t recommend swapping out the cream with any kind of milk. It will work okay, but the result will be a lot less creamy.
Of course, the cheese does the majority of the work in thickening this broccoli cheddar soup recipe…
When I discovered that shredded cheddar works so well, I honestly wondered why I’ve never seen this before. Yes, it’s a teeny tiny bit thinner than a flour-thickened version, but it’s so much easier. And, it’s better for you, too.
No carbs, no fuss, and still creamy and delicious. That’s a win-win, and makes this top my list when it comes to broccoli and cheese soup recipes.
How To Make Broccoli Cheddar Soup Thicker
The cheese does thicken this broccoli soup well enough for me. And the flavor is just perfect. That being said, I know that some people like a really, really thick broccoli cheddar soup.
If you want to know how to make broccoli cheese soup thicker, what are your options? There are a few ways that you can make this low carb soup thicker, if you want to:
- Add more cheese. The more cheese you add, the thicker your broccoli and cheese soup will be! This is the easiest option, but keep in mind it still won’t be as thick as using an actual thickener.
- Puree it. This is my preferred method. Simply pour some or all of the broccoli soup into a blender or food processor after cooking. It will get thicker from the broccoli itself! If you still want some whole broccoli pieces, just puree part of it and then return to the pot. You can also puree the whole thing, if you want to. Pureeing is an extra step, but it’s still a pretty easy broccoli cheese soup.
- Add a low carb thickener. These would be thickeners like xanthan gum or glucomannan. They are not completely natural, so I tend to just skip them. But if you want a super thick low carb or keto soup, they will do the trick. Start by whisking a bit of the powder (maybe just 1/4 tsp to 1/2 tsp) with some water, then whisk the mixture into the soup.
- Use a starch thickener. These would be arrowroot powder or cornstarch. Both are gluten-free, but now low carb. That being said, just a little bit will not make the soup super high in carbs. If you are okay with it, tossing the shredded cheese in a little arrowroot or cornstarch before adding to the soup will help it melt better and thicken better.
- Simmer it. You’ll notice this broccoli and cheese soup recipe contains heavy cream, which reduces when you simmer it enough. (For example, this is the secret for how to make Alfredo sauce.) So, the simmering is part of the process to thicken as well!
How To Make Broccoli And Cheese Soup 3 Ways
Do you like your broccoli soup super smooth or with chunks of broccoli? You actually have 3 options there:
- Pieces – Leave all the broccoli florets whole in your low carb broccoli cheese soup. (This is shown in the photos.)
- Pureed – Pureeing is an excellent way to get a thicker soup, if that’s what you like. The broccoli thickens it.
- Combination – You can even mix it up and puree half of it while leaving the rest as florets. Best of both worlds – and my fave!
My 10 month old daughter loved the completely pureed version – quite an impressive feat, considering she’s the pickiest eater you’ve ever seen. That right, there, seals the deal on this broccoli soup. And, it’s why I make it practically every week, all winter long.
So, are you convinced yet? Why not give it a try and make some easy broccoli cheese soup tonight?
Frozen Vs. Fresh Broccoli Cheese Soup
How to make broccoli soup with fresh broccoli? What about frozen broccoli? The answer is you can use either one! The instructions are exactly the same (below).
TIP: The simmer time for the broccoli soup may vary depending on the size of your florets and whether they were fresh or frozen. Frozen broccoli is usually pre-blanched, so it might cook a little quicker once it thaws in the soup (toss it in frozen!), but on the other hand, fresh broccoli doesn’t need to thaw first (obviously).
No matter what kind you use, you’ll know it’s done simmering when the broccoli is soft and tender.
How To Store Broccoli Soup
Low carb broccoli cheese soup stores well in the fridge for about 5 days. You can reheat it on the stove top over low heat.
Sometimes it separates a bit after a while, but usually comes back together after you reheat while stirring frequently. If that doesn’t help, you can also puree it in a blender – this will bring it back together.
Can You Freeze Broccoli Cheese Soup?
Yes, you can freeze this healthy broccoli cheese soup! Simply let it cool to room temperature, then freeze flat in freezer bags or in a freezer safe container.
Thaw it in the fridge completely the night before using. Then, you can cook it over low heat, stirring frequently to prevent curdling.
Is Broccoli Cheese Soup Keto?
Typical broccoli cheese soup is not keto, because it’s often thickened with flour or some kind of starch.
Fortunately, this easy broccoli cheese soup is perfectly keto friendly! But you don’t have to be keto to enjoy it.
How Many Carbs In Broccoli Cheese Soup?
Since most broccoli cheese soup recipes, whether they are homemade or at restaurants, contain starch as a thickener, they are not low carb. For example, Panera broccoli cheese soup has 19g total carbs and 15g net carbs in 1 cup.
In comparison, this low carb broccoli cheese soup recipe has just 4g net carbs and 5g total carbs!
What Goes With Broccoli Cheese Soup?
Need ideas for what to serve with broccoli cheese soup? There are many options, but I find that Italian flavors work very well in particular.
Here are some recipes to add to your meal with broccoli and cheese soup:
- Proteins like juicy baked chicken breast, sirloin steak, or salmon foil packets
- Veggie side dishes like roasted asparagus, mashed cauliflower, or roasted Brussels sprouts
- Healthy salads like avocado Caprese salad, kale Caesar salad, or Big Mac cheeseburger salad
- Keto garlic breadsticks from the Wholesome Yum Easy Keto Cookbook – you’ll also find a version of this easy broccoli cheese soup recipe in the book!
Tips For The Best Broccoli Cheese Soup
I’m thrilled that so many of you are making this easy broccoli cheese soup recipe! Along with my bacon wrapped asparagus, low carb cheesecake, and fathead pizza crust, it’s one of the most popular ones on the blog.
That being said, I also want to address any issues some people may be having. I truly want this to be your ultimate go-to broccoli soup recipe. So if you’re having trouble (or even before you start!), read these tips for best results.
For anyone that has problems with clumping during the cheese melting process in their broccoli cheddar soup, I have a few tips!
- Make sure the temperature is not too hot. This is super important! The heat should be very low when adding the cheese. If it’s too hot, the cheese can seize and clump.
- The broccoli florets should be small. The cheese tends to stick to larger pieces more.
- Use pre-shredded cheese OR add a de-clumping agent. The recipe works best with pre-shredded cheese that comes in a bag. If you shred a block of cheese yourself, or if your shredded cheese already seems clumpy to begin with, toss it with a little arrowroot powder or cornstarch first, before adding to the soup.
- Add only a little cheese at a time. If you dump all the cheese in at once, it will clump more.
- Stir, stir, stir! Keep stirring as you add the cheese.
- Backup plan #1: Puree it! If all else fails, just throw the soup in a blender (or use an immersion blender).
- The #1 recommended way: Remove the broccoli first and then puree! Thank you to a reader for suggesting this. If you’d like, you can scoop out the broccoli florets before adding the cheese and set them aside. A large slotted spoon works best for this. Melt in the cheese, then add the broccoli back in afterward. In fact, this is now my preferred method for how to make broccoli cheese soup!
And if you want a super thick broccoli soup, see the section above on ways to achieve that.
There you have it! As long as you do these things to ensure the cheese melts well, you’ll get the simplest, best broccoli cheese soup ever. 😉
5-Ingredient Low Carb Broccoli Cheese Soup:
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RECIPE CARD
Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe - 5 Ingredients
How to make the best broccoli cheddar soup in 20 minutes! This easy, low carb broccoli cheese soup recipe is healthy, CHEESY, 5 ingredients, & gluten-free.
Recipe Video
Click or tap on the image below to play the video. It's the easiest way to learn how to make this recipe!
PrintIngredients
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- 4 cups Broccoli (cut into florets)
- 4 cloves Garlic (minced)
- 3 1/2 cups Chicken broth (or vegetable broth, or bone broth)
- 1 cup Heavy cream
- 3 cups Cheddar cheese (pre-shredded - see notes)
Instructions
RECIPE TIPS + VIDEO in the post above, nutrition info + recipe notes below!
Click on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
- In a large pot over medium heat, saute garlic for one minute, until fragrant.
- Add the chicken broth, heavy cream, and chopped broccoli. Increase heat to bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10-20 minutes, until broccoli is tender.
Option 1 (original recipe):
Add the shredded cheddar cheese gradually, stirring constantly, and continue to stir until melted. (Add 1/2 cup (64 g), simmer and stir until it melts fully, then repeat 1/2 cup (64 g) at a time until all the cheese is used up.) Make sure to keep it at a very low simmer and avoid high heat, to prevent seizing. Remove from heat immediately once all the cheese melts.
Option 2 (recommended):
Use a slotted spoon to remove about 1/3 of the broccoli pieces and set aside. (This step is optional, if you want some pieces in your soup at the end. If you want all of the soup pureed, you can leave them in.)
Use an immersion blender to puree the remaining broccoli.
Reduce heat to low. Add the shredded cheddar cheese 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly, and continue to stir until melted. Puree again to make it smooth.
Remove from heat. Add the reserved broccoli florets back to the soup.
Readers Also Made These Keto Low Carb Recipes
Recipe Notes
- IMPORTANT: See my tips in the post above (before the recipe card) for best results when melting the cheese!
- To make this low carb soup even healthier, try making it with grass-fed bone broth.
- Want to know how to make broccoli cheese soup in a CROCK POT? That recipe is now available as a subscriber exclusive (for free). Click here to scroll to the signup form (at the top of this page).
Serving size: 1 cup
Video Showing How To Make Broccoli Cheese Soup:
Don't miss the VIDEO above - it's the easiest way to learn how to make Broccoli Cheese Soup!
Nutrition Information Per Serving
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database. You can find individual ingredient carb counts we use in the Low Carb & Keto Food List. Carb count excludes sugar alcohols. Net carb count excludes both fiber and sugar alcohols, because these do not affect blood sugar in most people. We try to be accurate, but feel free to make your own calculations.
More Low Carb & Keto Support
If you want to know more about how to start a low carb diet, want to substitute sweeteners, need a food list, or need support, check these guides:
Low Carb & Keto Diet Plan
Starter Guide 
Sweetener Conversion Calculator 
Keto Low Carb Macro Calculator 
Low Carb Keto Food List + Printable PDF
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582 Comments
Roxie
Thanks for the recipes! I actually added cauliflower to this as well & my husband loved it!!! It is a perfect keto recipe.
Julia
This soup turned out really good. I added extra cheese and it thickened up quite well. I got a little lazy so I didn’t put the soup in my blender to puree. Today when I warmed it up the cheese stuck to the florets. Do you think it’s too late to puree it now? Thank you so much for all your delicious recipes.
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Julia, you can re-heat the soup and puree it with no problem.
Luci
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm! I added a little chopped onion & had small bits of assorted cheeses in the fridge so I shredded those & added to the soup as well as sharp cheddar. I served with Moon Cheese as croutons. Amazing comfort dish on a snowy December day in the mountains of Utah.
Bonnie
This is delicious! I shared some with my neighbor, and she definitely agreed. One questions – can this be frozen for later?
Lesli
I used my Instant Pot like another reviewer “Lee” did. I used vegetable stock & added 1/2 a chopped onion, pinch of Italian seasoning, small pinch of red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. I cooked this for my husband and daughter to enjoy while I was out for the evening. I received texts from both them saying “holy YUM” and “please, please, PLEASE, be sure to save the recipe for this one.!” They loved it and luckily left some for me to try too. I concur- this recipe is a keeper and will go into our regular meal rotation. I used finely shredded sharp cheddar and had no difficulties with the cheese. I puréed to a fairly smooth texture and we garnished with roasted broccoli. Thanks for a great & simple recipe!
Terry
This is a fabulous recipe! It was so good and so easy to make, a new favorite. Thank you!
Sandra Bodnar
I made this yesterday. It was fabulous. I will definitely make this again. I added a can of beer as some of the liquid and cooked some extra broccoli to add after pureeing. Delicious
Sandra Bodnar
This recipe is excellent. I made it tonight. I added beer for some of the liquid. I thickened it with water and cornstarch. I also cooked extra broccoli to add. I will definitely make this again.
Margaret McKoin
THis is a GREAT recipe that has endless possibilities…I added red pepper flakes for a hot kick…..delicious!!!!
Lee
Just adapted this recipe for the instant pot and it was great, so I thought I’d share in case anyone else was looking for a tasty, simple, instant pot broccoli Cheddar recipe that doesn’t require any specialty ingredients. Use the sauté function to cook the garlic (also added some onion I needed to use up) then add broth, broccoli (frozen in my case, but fresh should work about the same), and spices and set to pressure cook on high for 5 mins. Quick release pressure and turn on sauté mode agin. Then add heavy cream and purée using immersion blender to desired consistency. At this stage, I transferred about a half cup to a bowl and mixed in about a tbsp of psyllium husk and added that back to soup to thicken, but this step is definitely not necessary. Lastly I stirred in shredded cheese 1/2 cup at a time, tasted and adjusted seasoning. It turned out amazing! Just what I wanted on a cold snowy day in Canada! Thanks for posting! P.S. highly recommend throwing in a dash of cayenne to add a bit of warmth!
Lesli
I was looking for an Instant Pot version – Thanks!
Jennifer
Thanks I was looking for an instant pot version! We are adding Chicken as well.
Victoria
This recipe is wonderful! It was very easy to make. I was so worried about the cheese ceasing up on me, but it turned out perfectly, and it is delicious! The only thing I found off and maybe there’s something I can do different next time? When I portioned it out I only had 5 one cup servings, and maybe a half cup extra. I had planned on making 6 servings of 1.5 cups, but I ended up not having enough, and I was curious how that would affect the overall net carbs if at all. I measured everything accordingly, any suggestions? Other than that, it was super easy to make and very delicious, and I will definitely be making it again!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Victoria, I’m so glad you liked it! The total soup volume varies a bit depending on how much the soup “reduces” (how much liquid evaporates as you boil it) and how tightly packed the broccoli florets are when measuring them.
Emily
Thank you so much for this easy recipe; it’s now my family’s go to broccoli cheese soup recipe. My picky 5 yr. old who claims she doesn’t like broccoli asks for this soup on a near weekly basis, so of course I sneak a little bit more broccoli in than the 4cups as this is her favorite part of the soup Thanks again from one appreciative mama for making something that can be so heavy & calorie laden into something so healthy and delicious that they like it better than the restaurant versions, keep up the great work!!!
Annette L. Venditti
I love this recipe but do NOT want to use heavy cream, I am going to try to use greek yogurt instead as I don’t use cream very often ~ thanks for this wonderful fall soup idea for me and my family
Teresa
I actually did not have a broccoli cheese soup recipe and hadn’t looked one up either. I happened to be ill and all I wanted was some soup that would fit into my Keto lifestyle. I made my soup the following way and it turned out good and even my 13 year old son liked it. Recipe: 2 cups water, 2 cups coconut cream, 16 oz package of frozen broccoli steamed, 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese, 8 oz container of Whipped cream cheese. Pour water and cream into bowl along with cream cheese (mix with electric mixer or puree in blender), pour the mixture from the bowl into a pot and turn heat to medium, add the steamed broccoli and shredded cheese, ;heat until desired temperature stirring frequently to avoid scalding the creamer. As far as seasoning, I merely ground a bit of pepper on top of the soup once I put it in my soup mug. I thought this was great soup. I am going to try yours as well. I don’t really like soup but do like: cheese and broccoli/cheese soups.
Susan Stewart
I have made this soup twice now and both times it was really good. It’s very easy and makes enough for several days worth of lunch for me. I like to leave some of the broccoli pieces whole and puree the rest for a thicker soup. It doesn’t tastelike its low carb at all.
Peggy Sandow
My husband has been on keto for almost two years and he’s really strict about it. Because of this, the only thing I’ve been able to contribute to his healthy welfare (besides making a mess) is making a huge salad every night and it has become a big drag and boring. I decided to get some low-carb soup recipes and voila – there you were! I tried with two other cookbooks last year, but there was always something I had to drop or substitute, even though though they claimed to be low-carb. I tried my first soup last night, the vegetable soup and it was scrumdiddly-umptious (my dad used to say that)! Thank you so much for being here for everyone. You really provide a great service and I intend to try tons of your recipes!
Thanks again from a newly-loyal fan.
Maria R
Excellent soup and very quick and easy to make! It was very tasty just added some salt and fresh ground pepper that were not listed.
Michelle M Walker
So as an avowed broccoli disliker (hate is such a strong word..) I have to say this soup is AMAZING. I made it originally for my partner but after trying it I was seriously impressed. I made it again today for a second time and doubled the recipe with no issue. I found it even easier this time around and its probably the easiest soup I’ve ever made! Thanks!
Bobi J Bamer
This is a great recipe!! It was easy to make as, start to finish was about 25 minutes, all ingredients I usually have on hand. My to boys (ages 18 and 21) are always skeptical of my “healthy recipes” and often critique what I make in not so glowing terms. They loved this recipe and asked that I keep it and repeat often. Win Win for me! Thank you for a great site and great recipes.
Rosa velez
I am doing it now, looks good 🙂
Lynn
Excellent Soup! So easy to make! My family loved it and they aren’t even on Keto! This will definitely go on the “Favorite” rotation!
Thanks Maya!
Ryan
Awesome flavor and I added some diced leftover bacon !!!
Karen Wood
Love your recipes!! Ingredients are easily accessible, flavors are spot on and you provide great tips!! Thank you!!
Jaimie
I made it last night – it was PERFECT!! I didn’t have any clumping of the cheese or anything! Thank you!!!
Nancy
I just made this soup and It’s delicious. I added small amount of bone broth to blender along with the broccoli stems and half of the heads along with the cheese and pureed this. Then added this to soup mix and NO CLUMPS of cheese . Thanks for all of the tips.
LadyG
I find your recipes so easy and very tasty! Really like trying them!
Patricia
Can this be made in my instantpot
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Patricia, I haven’t tried that, but I’m sure you can. You’d follow the recipe similar to the slow cooker instructions, which are a free email subscriber exclusive – the form to sign up is above.
Estelle
This is a tip for those who have trouble with the cheese clumping. Add a couple of teaspoons of sodium citrate (NaCHO, sour salt) to the cream and broth before adding the cheese. Sodium citrate is an emulsifier and will stop the cheese from clumping. It works especially well for making a sauce/soup with a hard, aged cheese. This is what makes Velvetta processed cheese such a good melting cheese. Sodium citrate is available online for culinary purposes.
Katherine
I LOVE how few ingredients there are in this!! Broccoli cheese soup is one of my go-to ways to get the kids to eat their veggies 😉
Lisa
I just made this for dinner and omg this is awesome stuff! Even my dad who is not on Keto loved it!
Paleoglutenfreeguy
OMG, this is a big bowl of comfort! So great!
ChihYu
I love soup! Thank you for this recipe that makes comfort food low-carb!
Jean
Taking me back to my childhood. So comforting and delicious!
Toriana
Can you use frozen broccoli florets instead of fresh, and if so should I simply let the broccoli florets thaw out overnight or cook it by way of boiling beforehand? Or would It be okay to cook it ( in its frozen state) in the pot with the other ingredients? Thanks in advance for your reply!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Toriana, Yes, you can make this broccoli cheese soup with frozen broccoli. You don’t have to thaw them, just add them to the soup frozen. They will thaw and warm as it cooks.
Sandra Bodnar
I used frozen and it worked out just fine. I didn’t thaw it out first either.
Meri Kieffer
I have made this recipe twice wanting each time for it to turn out perfect but BOTH times my cheese has clumped terribly. I actually threw it away the first time because I know of nothing to do to eliminate the clumps of cheese. In trying it a second time I was certain that if I took extra time and even watched the video that it would turn out, but IT DID NOT. I don’t know what else I can do to make sure it doesn’t clump. I await your quick reply as I do follow you and so many of your recipes sound tempting and delicious. I make a lot of soups as it’s a preferred dinner item for my husband. He has trouble chewing meats so I almost always have home made soup on hand. Thank you.
Wholesome Yum L
Hi Meri, I am so sorry to hear you had issues with clumping. Try these tips and see if that helps:
1.Make sure the temperature is not too hot. This is super important! The heat should be very low when adding the cheese. If it’s too hot, the cheese can seize and clump.
2. The broccoli florets should be small. The cheese tends to stick to larger pieces more.
3. Use pre-shredded cheese OR add a de-clumping agent. The recipe works best with pre-shredded cheese that comes in a bag. If you shred a block of cheese yourself, or if your shredded cheese already seems clumpy to begin with, toss it with a little arrowroot powder or cornstarch first, before adding to the soup.
3. Add only a little cheese at a time. If you dump all the cheese in at once, it will clump more.
4. Stir, stir, stir! Keep stirring as you add the cheese.
6. Backup plan #1: Puree it! If all else fails, just throw the soup in a blender (or use an immersion blender).
7. Backup plan #2: Remove the broccoli first! Thank you to a reader for suggesting this. If you’d like, you can scoop out the broccoli florets before adding the cheese and set them aside. A large slotted spoon works best for this. Melt in the cheese, then add the broccoli back in afterward.
Cherie Hobday
How many serves per recipe
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Cherie, The number of servings is on the recipe card above.
Elizabeth Courville
Very easy to make and oh, so delicious. I used my immersion blender after the broccoli was cooked so I had a creamy texture.
Patricia L Stevenson
I have made it several times now. It is a family favorite for sure!
Donna M
I just made this today! Easy and delicious. The only alteration I made was that I roasted the broccoli in the oven with a dusting of olive oil for about 15-20 mins at 390— I like the caramelized flavor. Thanks so much for your recipes– by far my favorite site to go to for recipes!
Kay Ross
Woknderful Soup and so easy. No problems with this recipe. I will make it often.
JOANN
Added more cheese for a thicker soup – tastes great!
Darla
This soup was amazing and so easy to make. I used Velveeta shreds instead of cheddar because it melts better. My family said “that’s a keeper!”
Gwen Mays
So simple and delicious!! I added in a half cup of shredded pepper jack cheese at the end. It was the best Broccoli Cheddar soup I’ve ever had. Also added in shredded carrots and chopped onion with the garlic.
Jessica
This was such a delicious soup! I followed the basic recipe with success. I hope I’m not being redundant or have overlooked the answer anywhere. Could you share the best way of freezing and thawing this soup?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Jessica, I added this to the post above. Thanks for asking!
Toni
Best soup I’ve ever made (& tasted) I blitzed it with a stick blender so thick & smooth. Gorgeous XX
Ronni
I made this soup and my cheese stuck to my broccoli and made it very chewy :(. I followed all the instructions but I don’t know What did I do wrong?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Ronni, I have a ton of tips on this in the post above.
Marissa
Hi Maya
I just came across your recipe here is South Africa & I am making it tonight already went out to buy all the ingredients. I am adding crispy bacon on top ( not to much because of the saltiness of it as you have mentioned )
However in SA we don’t get broth, its called stock that comes in a little tub and you then mix it with water and add it in. So I took the vegetable one to mix in 🙂
I am so excited to try this!
Peyton
I’m trying this tonight! Can not wait!
I couldn’t find the measurements for the ingredients though. Could you tell me where to find them?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Peyton, The measurements are on the recipe card above. If you have an Apple device, make sure Safari reading mode is turned off, which seems to break the ingredients list.
LuluVegan731
Hi, I can’t have dairy right now but this soup looks so so yummy. Can I substitute the heavy cream for coconut cream and use vegan cheese?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I haven’t tried that, but it might work. Let me know how it goes for you if you do that.
James Roberts
I made this today and paid attention to all of the comments. I cooked everything then removed the broccoli and blended half of it. I added the cheese at low temp, a little at a time and it melted easily. I used finely shredded cheese from the bag. Added back the broccoli and it was as thick as I hoped it would be. I used low sodium broth and it did not seem salty. Could use some herbs and spices to make the flavor pop, but I don’t know which ones. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Jeanette Fletcher
This was very good just by the recipe. I then added turmeric and onion powder and even better. No extra salt needed.
Ann
Made this tonight. AMAZING!
I thickened with coconut flour and I used 8 cups of shredded cheese and added bacon bits when serving.
Love love love!
JoAnn
Easy and good!
Chrissy
I made this recipe exactly but it only yielded 5 and a half cups. Did I do something wrong? Tastes great but just didn’t make as much as I thought it would
Wholesome Yum A
Hi Chrissy, I’m not sure what happened here. Perhaps the measurements for broccoli or cheese were lower than the recipe called for?
Beverly. Thompson
Can I do this in slow cooker?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Beverly, Yes, the slow cooker version is a free subscriber exclusive in the members area – you can use the form at the top of the post to sign up.
Jelka
Hi Maya,
The recipe is so easy to follow and to make my own. I just added some sriracha sauce to spice it up a bit. I took your suggestion and used the bone broth that I happen to have cooking on the back burner. However, I found the bone broth to be too powerful and the soup took on too much of a broth flavour. I could fix that for myself easily with more sriracha but that did work for my husband who doesn’t like hot spice foods. 🙁 I would add some water to the broth to water it down next time.
Thank you for the easy recipe. 🙂
Jill
Not sure how this recipe has so many 5 stars. I was concerned when I noticed the recipe has cheese added last but assumed with so many stars the cheese would blend well. I even read the tips in the text but adding the cheese last was a complete nightmare. Cheese stuck to the spoon and all over the bottom of the pan. What a mess to clean!
Denise Duquette
This recipe calls for heavy cream! Is it the same as whipping cream? What percentage of fat is heavy cream? Will 18% of cream acceptable?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Denise, Yes, that’s the same thing. Typically heavy cream (or heavy whipping cream) is 36%, but since this is soup and you are not whipping it, it’s not a big deal if you get one that is a lower percentage.
Jim
I really liked the flavor but when I saw the finished product I immediately doubled the amount of broccoli. Just not enough for me. I see reading the reviews the idea of adding bacon and probably will next time. Overall, though, thank you for a simple, tasty recipe. Thumbs up!
Charla M.
I typically make the recipe as written the first time but I decided to add some diced onion and jalapeño I had on hand, I added them with the garlic. This soup was fantastic! I also added a bit more cheese (1/2 cup) and will probably add a bit more next time. Thanks so much!!
Christiane
Delicious, perfect for this cold day in Canada!
Victoria Wojciechowski
I just made this simple broccoli soup and it is delicious! I blended the soup to make it smoother and then added some cooked turkey. Our 17 year old who doesn’t like broccoli loved it! This will become a regular in our house. Thanks for another great recipe!
Marjie
Quick, easy and delicious! I sautéed the garlic in butter, added a few drops of Tabasco and some salt & fresh ground pepper!
Rosa
I made it for the first yesterday for work and everyone loved it! It was easy, quick and delicious! I will be making it again!
Karen
Made this yesterday. Thin so did the suggested blending to thicken. This soup needs some love as it has a bland taste – I set it aside after half of a bowl.
Asulvi
This recipe is delicious, but I had such a hard time with the cheese. I followed the steps above to make sure the cheese melted correctly, used pre-shredded cheese, etc. Tried to purée it in my blender, and just ended up with a HUGE ball of cheese stuck around the blades. I threw the cheese ball away and kept the soup. Still delicious. Hopefully it’ll work out for me better next time!
Rebretta
Love it! Mine turned out great. I did take the broccoli out before adding the cheese just in case. It went perfectly! It said 8 servings but mine made 6 cups exactly. I used fresh bagged broccoli florets so maybe the water content was low. I froze the soup in individual servings and will have some crunchy bacon on standby!
Alex
I don’t know if anyone else had issues with the soup being thin and watery. I put in flour and I tried corn starch. It was only after it sat in the fridge for a couple of days did it thicken up but even that was slightly. It was good but watery.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Alex, There are tips in the post above for ways to thicken the soup.
Pam salter
I used rice broccoli instead. Yummy and easy
Maureen
LOVE IT !! We don’t like large chunks of broccoli blended it. Thank you!!
Mandy
This soup was so delicious! I was pleasantly surprised (thrilled). I used less of the broth, and it was nice. Thank you!
Stephanie
I thought I would share a few modifications I made to this recipe- I boiled the broccoli in a separate pot and drained it. To the broth/garlic mix, I boiled store-bought riced cauliflower. After adding the cheese, I threw it in my blender and the riced cauliflower thickened it. I then added the broccoli in. Thank you for this easy recipe!
Suzanne Macdonald
I know this is probably a dumb question but do you cook the broccoli first or does it go in raw? 🙁
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Suzanne, No worries, happy to help! It goes in raw.
Sharon
Can you reheat this in a crock pot on warm setting?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Sharon, I haven’t tried but you definitely can – what a great idea!
Robin
Loved this recipe! I added corn starch to the cheese, just a little, and used my immersion blender to mix. It turned out creamy and thick and delicious!! The best thing? I had hot fabulous cheesy broccoli low carb soup in less than 30 minutes!!!!! I cooked the garlic and onion in butter which and even more flavor. Yum. I’m loving the Keto lifestyle! Thank you so much!
Heather C.
Thank you so much for this recipe! I am keto but the rest of my family is not and everyone will eat this! We add a few bacon bits and extra cheese to top off our servings. Delicious!
Rodney
This is the BEST broccoli soup I’ve made. And so easy with only 5 ingredients. Please follow Maya’s advise and DON’T add salt. I did thinking, how can you cook without salt? Wrong. There is enough salt in cheese and broth. I did use 4 cups of cheese. Thank you.
Stacey
Sounds delicious! How many total servings is this soup?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Stacey! The number of servings is on the recipe card above.
Emily
This soup is soooo good!! I was craving panera and this hit the spot!!! Will make again!!
Marilyn Fish
I have made this soup several times. It is delicious! I use my immersion blender to make it smoother. I did not have to add a thickener. I think I will try the combination of cauliflower and broccoli next time as some have said in their comments. The addition of some ham sounds appealing as well. Thank you everyone for your suggestions.
Joell
I use this recipe all the time!!! Either cauliflower or broccoli. Everyone that has tried it LOVES IT! I make NO modifications. Exactly as is! PERFECT!
Marie
Delicious. After cooking it, I put it in my Ninja blender for a smoother texture and to thicken it (personal preference). Perfect mug sipping for my Midwest winter day.
Lin
Does this reheat well?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Lin, Yes, it does. Stir while reheating and don’t get the heat too high to avoid seizing the cheese.
Elizabeth Vigil
I didn’t have to add anything more than the original recipe as a thickening agent. This soup is delicious. I will be making this recipe often.
Teresa
Thank you for the recipe. I am wondering how much is a serving?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Teresa, A serving is 1 cup.
Lisa M
so good. I added the cheese a handful a time and didn’t have any problems!! I used low sodium broth.
Vicki
Has anyone ever tried swiss cheese instead of cheddar?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Vicky, I haven’t. Let me know how it goes if you do!
Emily
This was the first time I have ever made soup, so I was VERY nervous. It turned out AMAZING and it didn’t break the bank 🙂 I made it with homemade red lobster biscuits and my boyfriend and I absolutely loved it. Thank you for the recipe!! I did exactly as you said by adding corn starch and it made it thicker and creamier. Will do this again.
D'Andre
Very easy to make. Pretty tasty however, I would decrease the garlic to maybe 2 cloves. I also added some salt to my individual bowl
Valarie
I have made this broccoli cheese soup many times. I have a holiday party and wanted the Crock Pot version. I signed in for the Crock Pot version and I still have not gotten/found the keto broccoli cheese soup recipe. I have tried everything. This is very frustrating.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Valarie, I’m glad you like the soup and would love for you to have the Crock Pot version! If you already signed up, you can find step-by-step instructions in the Help area here.
Deanna
Hi Maya! I make this all the time. It’s a family favorite. Just wondering as I’ve been a subscriber for awhile and I’ve never had access to the crockpot version. How can I get it?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Deanna, I’m so glad you like it! If you are a subscriber you have access to the Crock Pot version anytime in the Members Area. If you aren’t sure where to find it, check the Help articles here.
Ann Ezell
I have followed all the instructions and still don’t get the broccoli soup slow cooker recipe!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Ann, Please check the Help articles here for accessing your bonus recipe in the Members Area.
Elsa
I was afraid of the soup not being thick enough and wanted to make a double batch. So I doubled all of the ingredients expect for the two liquids. For those, I did 4 cups of each (broth and cream). It turned out great.
Stacie Chapman
I had no problems cooking it. Just what I needed on a cold day!
Xan
Love it! It’s just delicious! I add a tbsp of cream cheese and bit less chicken broth and blend it as you suggest to make it a bit more thick, and it was just perfect in flavor and consistency. I follow some of the comments below before adding the cheese I let it broil a couple of minutes stiring constantly, then I add very slooowly the cheese and stir, stir, stir so that everything melted evenly, and it did. Thanks for the recipe!
Amee Estevez
This is my favorite all time soup (keto or not)! It’s easy, super tasty and very filling! I love the creamy taste and the cheesy goodness. I usually add carrots and diced ham, which doesn’t increase the carb count by much. I plan to make this (again) next week!
Dezeray
Oh my goodness. I am NEVER the one to comment. But this is the most simplest, easiest, yummiest brocolli soup ever!
I added black pepper and cornstarch to thicken and add a bit of flavor. I also blended the soup at the end for my little picky one and served it with garlic bread! Best combo ever. By far fav dish right now. Thanks so much!
Karl Stansell
Is there a pressure cooker version of this recipe?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Karl, Not yet, but I do have a slow cooker version, which is an exclusive for email subscribers. You can get it by signing up using the form at the top of the post.
Monica
That soup was delicious!! I followed your instructions and had no problems at all. Thanks so much for this great recipe.
Daphne
Had some trouble melting the cheese even blended some but it had great flavor my whole family loved it
Sandra
Maya:
Thank You for posting this recipe!
Since the weather has changed to being winter around here, I’ve decided to start making soup for the family. This one will be my 1st venture into making a Keto soup. Haven’t made this yet, so won’t give it a rating. (Bet it will be a 5 star rating; all of us like broccoli).
Will return with a rating soon. Also will try some of the other Keto soups here as well.
Desiree Bell
This sounds amazing and will be trying it tonight. My only issue is that I only have frozen broccoli. Would that change anything with the recipe?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Desire, The cook time might vary a bit but otherwise frozen broccoli will work fine!
Marie
I used an organic frozen broccoli from the local store. No chopping or cutting. Easy and delicious.
Kim
I had a hard time getting the cheese melted, I continued on a slow simmer for almost 30 min and it was left in chunks.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Kim, Check the post above for tips about this!
Leslie
Made the broccoli cheese soup. The liquid part is delicious. The cheese clumped to the broccoli and bacon. I took it off of the heat before stirring the cheese slowly? How can I remedy that next time?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Leslie, Check the tips in the post above to remedy the clumping issue.
avondarcye
We love this soup we like soup with a little heat so we used pepper jack cheese. This time I roasted the broccoli, saved a few pieces and pureed the rest with some broth. I also sauteed the garlic in some butter-decadent delicious soup
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy you liked the soup! Thank you!
Lisa Martin
Can you freeze?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Lisa, Yes, you can, just reheat slowly and stir often.
Diana
So simple and delish!!!
Just like you said. And the tips on thickening and low heat to prevent clumping is spot on. I’ve cooked for years and never knew why cheese sauces sometimes turned out great and sometimes they clumped. Thanks for the tips.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you so much, Diana! I’m so glad the tips were helpful.
TT
Hello. Have you tried freezing the soup?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Yes! You can definitely freeze it.
Christine
This soup was delicious!. Along with the garlic I sauteed onions and celery. For thickening I added a can of cream of chicken,which I know doesn’t follow the keto diet but it gave the soup a real creamy flavor. Thank you for the recipe.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you for sharing, Christine! I’m glad you liked it.
Stephanie Ray
Soooo amazing!! I’ve been Keto for 6 months, before that I did low cal/low fat diet so I haven’t had Panera broccoli Soup for a couple years… I made this soup tonight and I’m a happy girl!! I followed your recipe, added 1/4 tsp of Xanthan gum! So simple and so delicious!! ❤️
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you so much, Stephanie! I’m glad you liked it.
Kelli Pidde
Do you puree it before or after adding the cheese?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Kelli, If you’re using an immersion blender, you can puree it before and then again as you add it to help it melt.
Marla
This soup was very good and super easy! I almost ate 4 servings myself. I used Jim’s way of melting the cheese and the texture was perfect. I have some left for lunch tomorrow. Thanks for sharing.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
You are welcome, Marla!
Donna Urff
This was a delicious recipe. I like to eat healthy but am not Keto or low carb. The proportions of ingredients were perfect. I only made a few changes that worked for me. I never like to boil dairy so I boiled the broccoli in the chicken broth until tender. I puréed the broccoli and chicken broth and reduced the heat heat and added cream. Added the cheese very, very slowly while stirring. Thickener is not necessary. If you want it thicker, use more cheese. This is a great example of keep it simple. This is a soup that can stand up to “fancy” company!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you so much for sharing, Donna! That sounds like a great method to make the pureed version.
Jim
The first time I made this, the cheese and broccoli really clumped together. Probably because I like a REALLY sharp cheddar, and grated my own from a block(?).
Anyway, this was my solution — put broccoli and broth on first in a separate pan. Sautéed the garlic in a little butter, then added cream. Broccoli was done at this point, so I added 1/2 to 3/4 of that liquid, leaving out the broccoli. Melted in the cheese, then added the remaining liquid/broccoli.
It was SO GOOD!! Added to my recipe lineup!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thanks for sharing with us, Jim! I am happy you liked it!
Fiona
How long would you say this would keep for in the fridge?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Fiona, Probably about 5 to 7 days.
Laura R
I’m making this tonight after it became my go-to soup recipe last year! It’s just so good and so easy and I always make a double bath so I have leftovers! My whole family loves it! Also- I made it for a teacher luncheon at my twins’ school last winter and this soup got more recipe requests than any other homemade soup served there! Thanks for this “keeper!”
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy you liked it, Laura! Have a great day!
Krista
What about almond flour to thicken?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Krista, Unfortunately almond flour doesn’t work as a thickener. The reason regular flour works is because of the starch in it, which almond flour does not have.
Sloane
Tried my best to follow the instructions and got a clumpy mess. BUT the next night, I drained off the liquid, added about a 3/4 C of heavy cream and 3/4 C shredded cheese. It was so perfect!!! Thick like Panera!! Maybe I will try less broth, more cream next time! Thank you for the recipe!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you for sharing, Sloane! I’m glad you found a way that you liked.
Dale
Can this be put in the freezer for future?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Dale, Yes, you can, just reheat slowly to prevent curdling. There’s some chance it might separate or clump after freezing, so if that happens you can just puree the whole thing once it’s warm.
Kenda Townsend
Hi! I really want to make this today, but the only cheese I have on hand (shredded) is a Mexican blend from Walmart. I think is a combo cheddar, Monterey Jack, Asiago mix. Would this work?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Kenda, Yes, that should work fine!
Jamie E Adams
Can I add some cream cheese too?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Jamie, Sure, you can!
Myndi Y Chinn
The only thing I added was an onion.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thanks for stopping by, Myndi!
Joel
Wow – So good! My 10 year old son summed it up best when he said “Dad, this soup even makes broccoli taste good” – he normally hates broccoli. Thanks for the recipe.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I love to hear that, Joel! Thanks for stopping by!
Sarah W
This was exactly what I needed for this chilly fall day. I had some problems with my cheese clumping but I also did not follow the tip to remove the broccoli first. Still, I have no regrets. What am amazing find. Thank you
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy you liked the soup, Sarah! Thanks for stopping by!
Julie Banerjee
Delicious! Really well explained and I appreciated the different customizations offered.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy you liked the soup, Julie! Thanks for stopping by!
Cameron
Quick tip: don’t use generic cheddar cheese for this recipe. It doesn’t melt properly and sticks to the broccoli.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Cameron, You can check the post above for tips on saving it.
Angela
Hi Maya, I hope you are well.
My query is, can I use frozen cauliflower and broccoli? Preferably thawed.
I have a lot of frozen veg in my freezer which I need to use up.
Thank you, and keep up your good work.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Angela, Yes, you can, but it’s better not to thaw it first.
Colette
How can I make this a single serve recipe? Thank you!!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Colette, You can change the number of servings right on the recipe card – just enter the number you want and the amounts of other ingredients will adjust.
Melanie
Can someone please help me? I’m not sure what they mean by heavy cream. Can’t you given me brands or exact name of one? Please and thank you!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Melanie, You’ll find heavy cream at the grocery store next to the milk, especially close to the half & half. Often times the carton says “heavy whipping cream” (not to be confused with “whipped cream” in a can). Any brand is fine.
LynnM
Every single time I make this soup, my mouth does a happy dance! The only broccoli cheese soup I make any more. Thank you for a delicious recipe!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy you liked the soup, Lynn! Please come back soon!
Lori Dee
Definitely a five star soup!
This was incredibly easy and quite a forgiving recipe! My cheese mixed in super easily. I just turned off the heat and whisked the cheese in half a cup at a time as you recommended. I had a hunk of sharp cheddar left over so I shredded it and it mixed in as easily as the bagged cheese! I haven’t enjoyed making anything as much as I enjoyed making your healthy Keto soup. I am so sorry people had trouble with it seizing because it was so easy, but maybe I didn’t heat it as high. All I did differently was to use more garlic (I had extra to use up) and saute it in 2 Tb. Kerrygold butter before adding bone broth and cream, and it was super easy from there!
Thanks again! You have a loyal follower now!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy you liked the soup, Lori! Please come back again soon!
Rhonda
I love this site and all the wonderful recipes and info! But the site is so hard to navigate. I can’t even get to where I’m going and when I search for something, nothing happens at all. The content is amazing, and I wish it was easier to get to. As it is, I just sit and wait on it to keep moving. Thank you for all the awesome keto recipes and all your knowledge!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Rhonda, I’m so sorry you’re having issues navigating. Please contact me at the form here and I’d be happy to try to help identify what the issue is.
Rita Morrow
I made a few adjustments, I added 1/2 tsp salt, a good shake of red pepper flakes, and a few grinds of black pepper. Delicious! My son asked for bacon to crumble on top which worked very well.
Very easy and pretty quick.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I love that you added bacon, Rita!
Andrea Parkman
Hot in Atlanta! Just made it for lunch for the week and it was spot on! I used 4 cups of pre-shredded cheese to thicken it and I added parsley and fresh black pepper! Panera bread I still love you but I can save time and money by doing it myself. It taste great and I definitely will make this again.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy you liked it, Andrea! Thanks for stopping by!
Janine Wu
I signed up for your ebook and subscribed to your emails so that i could get the crockpot broccoli and cheese soup recipe as it was the only way to get the recipe. After having to jump through hoops and follow links I still can’t find the recipe. Why make it so difficult? Where is the recipe? I tried to search for it and was linked to 100 lunch recipes! I scrolled through them all and didn’t see what i was searching for. I enjoy your recipes but this is ridiculous!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Janine, I provide hundreds of recipes for free on my website without any subscription. A few of my recipes are exclusives for my subscribers – which is also free. If you signed up, you’ll find these in the Members Area. Hope this helps!
Stephany
I felt like it was a little too much cheese, but it was still amazing! Was just as good as soup at a bakery here! Thank you for the recipe.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am happy you liked it, Stephany! Thanks for stopping by!
Jenny
Mine turned into a clump of cheese in the bottom of the pan with juice on top. Sorely disappointed.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Jenny, I have lots of tips to address this in the post above.
Michelle
This soup is very good tasting. I did have issues with the cheese clumping so ended up pureeing it all. I’m wondering how to store the soup and if the cheese will clump once cooled off?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Michelle, I’m glad you liked the pureed version. You can store it in the fridge or freezer. It does separate but you can reheat it while stirring frequently until smooth again.
Charlene Bennett
Just tried this recipe tonight……OMG it was great! I did substitute flake garlic for the cloves and I added a 1/2 teaspoon of flour to thicken it just a little. Thanks for sharing!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy to hear that, Charlene! Please come back again soon! Have a nice day!
Kate
I tried downloading the Crock Pot recipe but it never showed up. Any way it could just be emailed to me another way? I’d love to try this!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Kate, The Crock Pot recipe is an exclusive for subscribers and can be found in the Members Area. The link to sign up or access the Members Area is at the bottom of every subscriber email. Hope that helps!
Cynthia
I read every comment and the tips before even watching the video. Followed everything to the letter and ended up with clumps of cheese around the broccoli and basically all over the bottom of the pan. It wasn’t stuck to the bottom of the pan, it just never blended in all that well to the soup itself. Additionally, I think the recipe is a little bit bland, although very salty. Sorry, this particular recipe is just not for me.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Cynthia, Try blending the soup, that should help!
Megan
I am new to Keto and I just made this recipe for the first time last night. It’s SO GOOD. Thank you for sharing it!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy you liked it, Megan! Thanks for stopping by!
Nancy Cooley
This soup is super delicious and simple. I used frozen broccoli since that’s all I had. It’s a bonus that it’s keto friendly. It comes out just like the picture above.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy to hear that, Nancy!
Sandi Bosanquet
Is this broccoli and cheese soup recipe for one serving? Does it keep in the fridge to reheat? Do you have the carb amount for this recipe?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Sandi, The recipe makes 8 servings (8 cups). You can keep it in the fridge, and stir well when reheating to make sure it doesn’t separate. The nutrition info, including carb count, is on the recipe card above as well.
Andrea Stevens
Any ideas on how I could make this in the Instant Pot or pressure cooker?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Andrea, Sorry, I haven’t tested that yet. If you do, you’ll need to add the cheese only afterward. Let me know how it goes if you try.
Alli
Just made it, SUPER yummy, and your tips for melting the cheese worked perfectly.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I love to hear that, Alli! Thanks for stopping by!
Sandra
Can I freeze this soup to so it is basically ready for next time?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Sandra, Yes, you can! Afterward, heat it slowly and stir frequently so that it doesn’t separate.
AJ
Loved it!! Will purée it to make it thicker!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Great idea, AJ! Thanks for stopping by!
Ellen V Crockett
I made this today and it is very good!
Modifications:
I sauteed the garlic and about 2 TB of finely chopped onion in about 2TB butter.
Added 4 c chicken broth (one box).
Added about 1 c of broccoli stems cut in small pieces – bring to boil and cook 10 minutes.
Use imersion blender to blend almost smooth.
Add 4 c florets and simmer about 10-12 minutes.
Remove florets and stir in the cheese in small increments until all melted.
Put florets back into soup and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you for sharing with us, Ellen!
Carolyn Lucas
This soup was excellent! I added salt, pepper and one half stick of butter to the recipe. I also cut the broccoli into smaller pieces and used 4 cups of pre-shredded cheddar. Easy and delicious!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy you liked it, Carolyn! Have a great day!
Tiffiney
Can I use frozen broccoli cooked in microwave first, or only fresh broccoli?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Tiffiney, You can use frozen broccoli, but don’t cook it in the microwave first. You can just add it frozen and cook until done that way.
Sam
I can honestly say I’ve tried many low carb recipes and never left reviews for any of them, whether I liked it or not. But I just have to recognize this recipe! I LOVE Panera’s broccoli cheddar, and I turn a blind eye to the high amount of flour used and have been on a hunt for low carb ever since. After several failed attempts at other sites…this was PERFECT and tasted even better to me than Panera! I sautéed onions, garlic and grated carrots in butter before adding the cream, chicken broth and broccoli (which i chopped all traces of stem off). I removed everything but the liquid and added 2 cups of sharp with one cup of mild shredded cheese and about a teaspoon of pepper. Added the veggies back in and my goodness it was good! I have used several recipes from this website and I have NEVER been disappointed.. but you have no idea how much this has saved my life with Panera cravings!! Thanks so much. Keep doing what you do so well!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy to hear that, Sam! Thanks for stopping by!
Brandi
This is one of my go to constants!! Its amazing, delicious, simple and FILLING!!!! I highly recommend!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Yay! Thanks so much, Brandi!
Stephanie
I just made this tonight for dinner, and I love it!! So delicious. Thanks for the great recipe! I’m fairly new to the keto diet, and am still searching for meal ideas. This one’s a keeper!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I love to hear that, thank you Stephanie!
ROSE V DARMANIN
It is a low carb soup but I don’t see the carb count in the recipe. Did I miss it? Please let me know what the full nutritional info is. Fat, Fiber, and carb count. thanks.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Rose! All of the nutrition information are underneath the recipe, right below the recipe notes. Here you go:
NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING
Calories: 291 | Fat: 25g | Total Carbs: 5g | Net Carbs: 4g | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Protein: 13g
Have a great day!
Samantha
It was so good! I cheated and steamed some broccoli in the microwave, then pulsed it in the food processor with the chicken broth. It was the best cheddar broccoli soup I’ve ever had, perfect blend of flavors. This will be my go-to for winter. Thank you!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you so much, Samantha! I’m glad you liked it.
Madison
This soup was great! I took the broccoli out before adding in the cheese and had no clumping issues. I also pureed half of the soup and kept half as is to increase the creaminess and it worked perfectly. Also added a pinch of nutmeg to bring out the earthiness of the broccoli. Delish!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Madison! I’m glad you liked it!
April
I used bacon fat to cook the garlic, and added some onion. I blended the soup to avoid the texture of mushy broccoli. I added salt, pepper, and curry. It was in desperate need of flavor. Very good
Maya | Wholesome Yum
That sounds delicious, April! Have a great day!
Brandy
Can I use frozen broc in this? if so how should I do it? Trying to go more with frozen bc I seem to waste to much fresh… Thank u!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Brandy! You can use frozen broccoli. You may need to cook a little longer in the part where you add the broccoli, so that it defrosts, and the end result will probably be softer broccoli in the soup. I hope you like it!
Beth
I had to have all my teeth pulled last week and have been craving broccoli soup. Found it in a supermarket for 8.99 and it wasn’t even a quart. I decided to make it myself and found your recipe. I made it this morning and doubled the recipe. OMG it was amazing!!!!! Thank you so much.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Beth! I’m so glad you liked the soup and that it was helpful in this difficult time. Hope you are feeling better soon!
Linda
Thank you so much for this recipe. It was awesome. I have been switching over my diet to low carb and having a real problem since I hate most vegetables, but this soup was so good I didn’t even notice the broccoli…. lol I will be making this a regular in my house. Had no problems with the recipe and it came out perfect, looked just like your pictures. Love your website too.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you so much, Linda! I’m glad you liked the soup and that it’s helping you eat more veggies.
Melissa Dougherty
Just an FYI: many of the pre-shredded cheeses have a coating of starch to prevent clumping in the bag.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Melissa, Most shredded cheeses use cellulose to prevent clumping, which is just fiber and doesn’t change net carb count. Even for total carbs, it’s a teeny tiny amount that is negligible. You can try shredding a block of cheese yourself, but for me the pre-shredded works better in this recipe.
Michelle
If I make chicken broth from scratch can I leave chicken pieces in it?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Michelle, You can try, but sometimes the cheese can stick to the chicken. Other times it works fine. If you want to be on the safe side in avoiding this, remove the pieces using a slotted spoon, and only add the chicken back in after melting in the cheese.
Lori
This is a great, cheesy broccoli soup. It turned out perfect, didn’t have any issues with it. I used a thicker grated cheese as opposed to a finely grated cheese. At first I thought maybe there wouldn’t be enough of the cheesy broth when all was said and done but there wasn’t an issue with that. Hubby, myself and our son all ate some and then a couple hours later I look over and our son is eating the rest right out of the bowl we put it into for the fridge. Great recipe!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Lori! I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed the soup.
Morgan
I enjoyed the soup and thank you so much for the recipe but I find it still tastes very chicken brothy if that makes sense? Like I taste more of the broth than the cheese. What should I try next time?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Morgan, I’m glad you enjoyed the soup! If the taste of the broth is stronger than you like, you can use less broth and more cream.
Taylor
Can you use coconut flour to thicken the soup?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Taylor, Unfortunately coconut flour does not act as a thickener for soup. I have some ideas for ways to thicken in the post above the recipe card.
Sally A. Haskett
You can use glucomannan..to thicken it with. You can purchase it on Amazon.
Natalie
aww, just happened to jump in this amazing recipe.
It’s made from exactly my favourite ingredients!!!!
Now I know what to try at this weekend <3
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Natalie! I hope you like it! Thanks for stopping by!
JACKIE
Do you, or anyone know…..could the ingredients be put into a vitamin that makes soup?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Jackie! Yes, you can easily use a Vitamix! I hope you like the soup!
Alex
How can I reduce the saltiness of the soup? Should I use a different broth?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Alex! You can use a reduced sodium broth if you’d like. Have a good day!
Virginia
Wish I had whisked in the cheese to liquid BEFORE adding steamed broccoli! I followed directions, but the cheese clumped terribly.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Virginia, You can do that if you are steaming your broccoli ahead of time. I did not want to create separate steps for that. But, there are some tips above the recipe card that can help with the issue you experienced. I hope you were able to save the soup by pureeing it, or if not, that you’ll try it again.
Tammy Moon
I’m doing keto. Can we substitute xanthum gum for arrowroot or corn starch? Can’t use pre-shredded cheese, arrowroot or corn starch in keto. Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Tammy, Pre-shredded cheese is ok on keto as long as it doesn’t have starch in the ingredients. You can still shred your own if you want to, though. I added some thickening options in the post above the recipe card and did mention xanthan gum, so you can use that if you’d like!
cheri
just made it…it is very good i used bone broth….5 stars
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I love bone broth, Cheri! What a great addition!
Lizatl
Hi there – made this tonight exactly as described. It was very good but I did have some of the cheese clumping around the broccoli issue. I didn’t really notice it, but my family members both independently commented on it. I used pre shredded cheese and had very low heat when I added it. I did leave the pot on the low heat for maybe a minute or two after incorporating the cheese (while adjusting the salt and pepper), so I second the idea that it is very important to immediately remove the pot from the heat source and serve right away.
Michael Ann
Hi Maya,
My name is Michael Ann. I want to thank you for your recipe. I knew it didn’t have to start butter and flour. The only thing that I did differently is I used whole milk and a stick blender. Thanks again.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Michael!
Diana Sisson
Does this soup freeze well?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Diana, Yes, you can freeze it. Just reheat over med-low heat and stir constantly, to prevent curdling or separation.
Robyn
I had high hopes and it is obviously not your recipe but something that I did. I kept the temp low and I stirred almost constantly, but my cream and cheese just never blended. I’m guessing this is what you mean by clumping because I did have about 1/2 cup of block cheese and perhaps this is what messed it up. The taste is great but it looks like a mess. Any fixes for this?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Robyn, Sorry you had issues with it. I have some tips above the recipe card that might help. As far as fixes after the fact, throwing it all into a blender to make a pureed soup, or using a stick blender, would be a way to salvage it.
Dee
I changed some things. First I steamed two heads of broccoli in 2 cups of water the day before. The next day, I added a cup more of water and added chicken bouillon and brought it to boil. Next, I added 1 1/2 cups almond/cashew milk; I can take only so much dairy. I turned the heat to low.
I brought it to a boil and added a couple of grates of nutmeg, white pepper, and onion powder. I mixed three cups of shredded cheddar with 1/4 teaspoon of arrowroot. I slowly added the shredded cheese, using a whisk. Once it was blended, I added the broccoli and topped with freshly cracked pepper.
Yum!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
That sounds delicious, Dee!
Gina
Good morning! I was just wondering if I could use half and half instead of heavy cream? Also,I just purchased frozen broccoli florets so I am going to give it a try.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Gina, Yes, you can definitely use half and half. The calories would be lower but carbs would be higher. Frozen broccoli should work fine, too.
Tim
I have been doing keto for about 5 weeks now, and my wife has been asking me to look up meals for the whole family. This one really blew us away. We made a double recipe the first time and it was fantastic! This one is now on our dinner rotation list. Thank you!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
So glad everyone liked it! Thank you, Tim!
Jacqueline
Hi, I am allergic to garlic and wonder if it will be ok not to use any or can you suggest an alternative perhaps? Thank you.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Jacqueline, It’s fine to leave the garlic out of the recipe, you could replace it with whatever your favorite spice is!
Urs
Thank you for this recipe! I like my food uncomplicated, and this soup is clean, simple, and full of flavors. I blended it with an immersion blender for an extra creamy experience, and my family loves it!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Urs!
Regina West
Absolutely delicious and budget friendly. Thank you, will make again.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Regina!
ttina639
Broccoli cheese soup was so easy to make. It was great. My sis even liked it and she’s not on keto.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you!
Becky
I made this tonight and it was so good. I’ve made other recipes for broccoli cheese soup that were good as well but I tried this one because it is keto-diet allowed. It turned out so nice!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Becky!
Linda Sutley
Oh, I found the five stars. Fourth time looking for it was a charm! I rated the soup a 5-star recipe.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Linda!
Aurelia
Very tasty soup, few ingredients, easy to make and best of all low or no carbs. I give it a 5 star rating.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Aurelia!
Cheryl
I can’t find the share buttons – I wanted to share this to my Facebook page, UrbanMommys for all my readers. It’s amazing!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Cheryl, if you’re viewing the website on a desktop or laptop browser, the share buttons should be on the left side of the screen. They are pink! 🙂 Hope this helps.
Nancy
I just love this soup but I am confused about the servings – if I am only adding 3.5 c of broth and 1 c of cream it doesn’t seem like it could be (8) 1 cup servings. What am I missing? I could eat the whole pot! So yum.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Nancy, the rest of the bulk comes from the broccoli and cheese. Hope this helps!
Katie
Same. I made this and it was nowhere near 8 cups. More like 3-4. Absolutely loved the taste but will have to double next time.
Jacki
So tasty, love it.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Jacki!
Susan
This is my favorite soup ever! I make a pot at least once a week. I love it thick and creamy, so I purée it with my immersion blender. I’ve never had a problem with the cheese seizing. When the broccoli is done, I turn the heat off, add the cream and purée it. Then I add the cheese a handful at a time and purée again. Today I added cream cheese and I think that made a great soup even better!
I really appreciate the ability to change the amount of servings or any of the amounts of ingredients and have it automatically recalculate amounts. I just measure the amount of broccoli I have on hand, enter it, and the recipe tells me exactly how much of the other ingredients I need!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Susan!
Kate
Just wondering if you remember how much cream cheese you added?
Amber Lodahl
This is my favorite soup, I eat it every week. So easy and so delicious with the keto bread recipe too! This is a MUST HAVE in my house!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Amber!
Gerald
Great soup. Easy to make and taste really good.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Gerald!
Naomi
The Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup is one of the tastiest I have made, thank you.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Naomi!
Ray Gillespie
Tried this soup last week and loved it. Will definitely make it again.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Ray!
Maria Alba
The best recipe broccoli soup ever. Easy to make, comfy & delicious!!! You have wonderful food ideas to make keto a nice WOE. I keep an eye on your site for nice meals. Thanks.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Maria!
Carol
Cheese did not melt, never thickened either. We ate it, but would have been more enjoyable had it turned out better.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Carol, Sorry you had issues with the cheese melting. Please check the tips in the post for troubleshooting this.
Sherry L Sullivan
Tried this tonight. It was easy to make and very delicious.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Sherry!
Allison Fitzgerald
This is delish! Super easy and quick to make. I love having leftovers! Even the hubby liked it! That’s a win in my book! Thank you for all you do. It is great having so many wonderful recipes all in a single place!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Allison! That means a lot!
Stevie B.
This is the best recipe! SO simple my six your old helps me. 🙂
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Stevie!
Rosie
Love, love this soup. I have made it three times and the family loves it too. So easy to make. Thank you.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Rosie!
Cheryl Ponceti
This was so good and so easy. We loved it. Will definitely make it again.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Cheryl!
Diane Pendleton
I love this soup! I’ve made it many times now. So glad to have it. I don’t really enjoy cooking very much but this was easy and delicious. Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Diane!
Collette
This is delicious, I will make it again and again. Easy to make and tastes awesome.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Collette!
Marilyn Paul
I tried really hard to give this a 5 star, but it wouldn’t let me. I did try this soup and I really like it. She is so good about adding clear instructions and cooking tips to help out a first time user. I really appreciate that.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you so much, Marilyn!
Shirley Prsado
I was having friends over for soup and salad. This soup is the best I ever tasted, AND I MADE IT. Everyone thought I had ordered it from this fancy restaurant across town. Thanks for the recipe, will make it many more times.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Love it! Thank you, Shirley!
Susan
I thought the soup was very good, both fresh and a microwaved single serving. I used half the garlic and wish I had used less or quite possibly garlic powder instead of fresh. I found this to be the case with a chicken, bacon, spinach, ranch keto casserole recipe.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Susan, some people are more sensitive to some flavors so definitely adjust any spices to your liking! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Vickie
It was great!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Vickie!
Laura
I have also had an issue with getting the cheese to melt without leaving a glob in the bottom of the pot. I will try some of the suggestions made to avoid this. I wonder if instead of dusting the cheese with a little cornstarch, you could use a bit of xantham gum, it would help thicken as well. You can’t use much though or you will have another lobby problem!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Laura, Sorry you had issues with the cheese melting. I have some tips in the post above the recipe card. I haven’t tried the xanthan gum since I wanted to keep this recipe focused on more accessible ingredients, but that sounds like it could work. Let me know how it goes if you try!
Heather
The soup was delicious. I pureed 3/4 of it so there weren’t as many broccoli pieces. No problem with cheese clumping. Definitely will make again.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Heather!
Maria O Padron
I made this about a week ago. I am currently following the Keto W.O.E. I made this for my husband as well. He has not made the decision to completely follow with me but will eat some of what I make. He loves it.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Maria!
Debi
I was so happy to find this recipe without flour or cornstarch as an ingredient. I followed the directions including the tips and it came out delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Debi!
Natalie Daugherty
I mixed the cheese in slowly with a whisk with the broth and cream before it boiled and had no clumping. Added the broccoli after it started boiling. Also added a little nutmeg!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thanks, Natalie! Sounds delicious!
Lynda
Made this for dinner tonight and it was awesome!! My husband loved it too. Followed your directions, and it came out perfectly!! Thank you for a great easy recipe!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Lynda! Glad you both loved it!
Justin
The reason that most recipes use flour as a thickener is that it helps the cheese emulsify and not separate. To avoid the carbs, you can use a tablespoon of sodium citrate. This is a natural salt of citric acid that acts as an emulsifier and will make all of your cheese based sauces smoother.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thanks, Justin! I’ll have to look into that!
Christin
Husband and I are on the Keto diet. Tried this recipe for the first time tonight and it turned out EXCELLENT! The cheese did not clump. Followed the recipe directions and used tips precisely and my husband was in awe of it. Will make again! I added bacon to the top which went hand in hand.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Christin! Adding bacon sounds wonderful!
Juli
Yay! So good, and loved by all, toddler included!
I also blended about 1/2 of the soup before adding the cheese and didn’t have any issues with clumping.
Also added mushrooms and leek.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Juli! That sounds delicious!
Maddy
Oh my YUM. Love how easy this recipe is! I had no problems with cheese clumping – I made sure to break up the bigger florets of broccoli and then I stirred in handfuls of cheese at a time until fully melted.
I did use 2 tsp of xanthan gum just to thicken it up and salt to taste!
Thank you! Perfect Sunday game-day comfort food!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Maddy!
Maureen
This soup gets better and better the more I eat it. 🙂 I diced up some bacon and cooked it really crisp then sprinkled in on top before serving. Adds a great low carb crunch and flavor. I think taking some of the big pieces of broccoli out and giving it a quick mix with a stick blender (or in a regular blender) would resolve any clumpy cheese/thinness issues. So quick and easy to make. I love that it has good flavor with just a few ingredients.
Thanks for the recipe. I am making some more this afternoon to have on hand for lunch.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Maureen!
Valerie
I’ve made this a few times and each time has been wonderful. My tips if anyone is interested:
1) sautéed garlic in a little olive oil
2) had heat on medium for cream and broth
3) cooked broccoli about 7 mins. Otherwise it’s too mushy for me
4) changed to low heat and added cheese very slowly
5) added some fresh ground pepper
6) enjoyed this soup with my 12 year old son
He raved about it and asked for seconds!
Awesome recipe!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Valerie! Great tips! The cooking time for the broccoli varies based on how big the florets are (bigger = longer) and also how you like it. 🙂
Roxanne Rivera
This was delish, I just made homemade bone broth yesterday, so I was excited to use it in this recipe. I used half mild half sharp cheddar, pre-shredded like you suggested and it turned out perfect. It was so nice to have some warm soup as I have been snowed in for 3 days. I food prep every week and I think I will be using this in my regular rotation. It was simple, easy and used ingredients that I already had in the kitchen.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Roxanne! Stay warm!
Erika
When I made this all the cheese clumped onto the broccoli and it was very thin. I added the cheese per instructions, so what could I have done wrong?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Erika, it’s hard to say what exactly went wrong without being in the kitchen with you. If you want to try again I would remove the broccoli before adding the cheese, blend it after melting, then add the broccoli back in after. Hope this helps!
Sharon
Absolutely delicious! Will make again!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Sharon!
Pat Cooke
Guess I missed it in the recipe, but need to know how much chicken broth you use.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Pat, there is 3 1/2 cups of chicken broth in this recipe.
Amanda
I have tried to make this twice. I am an experienced cook and followed the recipe exactly. No problem with my cheese clumping. The broth did not thicken at all. There is none of the creaminess that makes broccoli cheese soup so good. Wish I’d boiled the broccoli and used the cheese on top of it rather than watering it down this way.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Amanda, Sorry that it wasn’t what you expected. It can help to boil down the broth more before adding the cheese. Otherwise, if you still prefer it thicker, you can also puree some of the broccoli together with the liquid to thicken it, then add that back in with the rest of the pieces.
Laura
Absolutely stunning recipe. Even my hubby loved it. I followed your instructions exactly and it turned out perfect. Thank you <3
Greetings from Bavaria.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Laura!
D Crandall
I made this tonight – followed the recipe (using frozen broccoli and removing it before adding shredded cheese on low heat) and it was delicious! It sounded too easy to actually work; but it worked and was great! Thank you!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you! I’m glad you liked it!
Danielle
Just found this recipe, as Im starting my keto journey. It was perfect on a cold day like today. I’m curious about the recipe making (8) 1-cup servings. I measured out my soup using a measuring cup and the entire batch came to 5 cups. I found it hard to believe that mine was so off from yours. I want to be able to track my macros accurately, which is why I’m questioning this. Thank you for sharing all of your hard work!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Danielle, I’m guessing the different might have to do with how tightly packed the broccoli was into the measuring cup (mine was pretty packed), and also how much the liquid “boiled down”. The more the liquid reduces, the fewer servings you will get. I measured 8 cups when I made it.
Gina
Absolutely delicious. I followed the instructions exactly as stated with adding the cheese to the pan. I did add a small chopped onion and sauted it with the garlic in about 1 tablespoon of butter. AMAZING! Cannot wait to see if the leftovers reheat well.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Gina!
Pat marino
A good way to thicken soup is to use frozen avocado.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Great idea, Pat!
Danielle
I made this and it wasn’t as thick as I’d hoped for. It also separated overnight, does it come back together when it’s reheated?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Danielle, Next time you make it, I would recommend simmering the chicken broth and heavy cream for longer, so that more of the liquid evaporates. That should make it thicker. It should come back together, just make sure to reheat slowly and stirring frequently so the cheese doesn’t seize. If that does happen, you can also try pureeing it.
Candice Conway
I just made this and it came out perfectly! Creamy and yummy. I added 1/4 tsp smoked paprika for my personal touch, then crumbled bacon on top as a garnish. Yet another recipe that I’ll make again and again. One note, for most things, I find the store brand is just fine. For preshredded cheese, I’ve found that the generic cheeses don’t melt as well as the more expensive ones. Again, thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Candice!
Sabrina Silvernale
My soup turned out creamy, so I’ll share my technique. I first fried up some chopped bacon and set aside, then sauteed the garlic in some of the renderings. I used frozen broccoli that I steamed in the microwave and added to the garlic along with two cups of broth to simmer. Meanwhile I used the microwave to heat the cream cheese 30 seconds and stirred. Added fresh grated cheddar a cup at a time and heated 1 minute at a time and stirred each time, also adding cream and one cup of broth to thin it. Ended up with a smooth cheese sauce that I added to the simmering pot while whisking. Heated slowly and never fully boiled it. I also added two cups of leftover cubed chicken and garnished with the bacon. Hope that made sense. It was really good. Thanks.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Sabrina! Those are great tips!
Mayme
Is it possible to make this on the stove and then reheat in the crockpot? I want to take it to a potluck, but don’t want it to get ruined by putting it in the crockpot to reheat.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I haven’t tried reheating it in a crock pot yet but somebody else said they were able to make the recipe in the crockpot so that might work. They said they added the broccoli and vegetable broth only and cooked on high for 4 hrs. When that time was up they added the cream and cheese. I would maybe give it a test run first to make sure it works for you though. Hope this helps!
Vanessa
I didn’t read through all the comments but I used pre-shredded organic cheddar cheese. I added while at low heat in small amounts. It seemed to be melting but in the end it was all in clumps around broccoli pieces. I guess I should have removed the broccoli and then put it back in? It’s still delicious but it is very thin and with each bite of broccoli it is clumped with cheese and chewy. Did I not let the cheese melt all the way?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Vanessa, sorry you had issues with the cheese clumping! Next time I would definitely recommend taking the broccoli out while you’re melting the cheese in then adding it back in. If it starts clumping again before you add the broccoli in, try blending it. Hope this helps!
Andrea
This was delicious. I added a little bit of cheese at a time while stirring, and it did manage to melt well. I then blended the entire soup, and added tiny florettes later. Will definitely make again!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Andrea!
Stacey Blanton
I fixed this recipe tonight and I don’t know what I did wrong, but it wasn’t soup. I cooked the garlic, added the chicken broth, heavy cream and broccoli. I let it simmer about 20 minutes. I then started adding the cheese, a handful at a time and stirring constantly until the cheese melted before adding another handful. When the cheese was put in, it was still like water, only it was yellow water. I added more cheese and more cheese. It was get darker yellow, but not thicker. I finally had to add corn starch, which defeated the purpose of going low carb, What did I do wrong? Was the cream supposed to be thick before adding the cheese? Mine was not.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Stacey, I’m sorry the soup didn’t thicken up as much as you wanted. Some people have mentioned that after melting the cheese in they took it off of the heat and blended it with an immersion blender which helped thicken it up. If you don’t want the broccoli blended in you can remove the broccoli before melting the cheese in then put it back in after blending.
Rebecca
Just made this soup and it was awesome! I had zero problems with the cheese clumping and it turned out perfect. I’m not a very experienced cook but I’m looking to try more (low carb!) recipes. This was easy and delicious and I’ll definitely be making it again.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Rebecca! I’ve got lots of low carb recipes to try! 🙂
Dana
I just made this, added shredded chicken and used Kraft fine shredded cheddar had no problems with clumping and didn’t puree. Taste great! I will use this again.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Dana! Adding chicken is a great idea, too!
Catherine
Hi! I just made this tonight and and it turned out great! I just sprinkled a pinch of corn starch over the cheese and mixed it in…no problems clumping at all! Thanks for sharing a great, easy, and quick soup!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Catherine! I’m glad you liked it!
Maria Mendez
My husband is diabetic and he kept insisting that broccoli cheese soup MUST be thickened with flour, so we eliminated it from our cooking. Well, I tried this and proved him happily wrong. Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Maria! This is one of my favorite soups. 🙂
Scott
Any ideas on how to store and re-heat the left overs? Thanks! Scott
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Scott, You can store them in the fridge. The soup may separate a bit, but comes back together if you stir as you reheat on the stove.
Brittany
Will this reheat well?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Brittany, Yes, I’ve reheated it without a problem. It tends to separate a bit in the fridge, but just stir it as you reheat.
Jonnelleoh
Convinced your followers can’t cook. I followed the directions exactly as you wrote them and it came out perfectly! I even used more cheese to get rid of the entire bag. No clumps at all. But thanks this was my first soup I ever made and will make again. Might add some meat next time.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you! I’m glad the recipe worked for you. 🙂
Joy
My soup didn’t thicken up at all. Although, the taste was great. I added black pepper and a little onion powder. Next time I think I’ll cut back on the chicken broth to see if it’ll thicken up a bit.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Joy, It might depend on how tightly packed your shredded cheese is. You can also add more cheese to thicken it more.
Bonita
Hi, Hubby and I are new to low carb and low sugar, love soup and this sounded perfect for a rainy fall evening. Followed the recipe to a t with all the ingredients, measurements and updates on adding the shredded cheese. It smelled wonderful, cheese melted easily using a whisk, but that’s where it all went south. It was considerably thin and watery although it did have a good flavor. As it cooled in my bowl it began to set up in clumps on the bottom of my bowl, coating my spoon and most annoyingly on my teeth and mouth. Second helping found big clumps of cheese had separated and settled at the bottom of pot basically rendering the rest inedible. I usually read comments left by others first and wouldn’t have wasted a bit of money on these ingredients. Maybe it’s the brand of cheese? It didn’t ever get thick and as soon as it started cooking down began separating. Bummer, I was hoping for an easy go-to low carb soup!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I’m sorry it didn’t work for you this time! It sounds like the cheese seized. You may want to check out my tips for preventing that above the recipe card.
Sue
I had the same problem. Everyone is saying that the cheese seized because the heat was too high but I cooked the broccoli in half the stock in one pan and tried to slowly melt the cheese in the other half, in a different pan. It just wouldn’t mix with the stock. I used a immersion blender and that seemed to work. I added my cream to the broccoli and then the cheese then took the pan off the heat and stirred it. I ended up with thin soup and the cheese on the bottom and chunks stuck to the broccoli. I’m thinking maybe the brand of shredded cheese was the problem?
Sue
I just put it in my Blendtec and puréed it. Tastes great now!
Peyton
Look forward to trying this recipe out. Do you know if it would work in the Instant Pot?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Peyton, I haven’t tried that. It might work but you’d have to melt in the cheese separately at the end. Let me know how it goes if you try!
Tracee
Is this really 25g fat for a one cup serving? Just checking as that seems really high.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Tracee, Yes, the nutrition info is on the recipe card. This recipe is low carb but not low fat – it’s pretty rare to have both. If fat content is an issue, you could lower it by using less cheese or possibly a low fat cheese. You could also replace some of the heavy cream with milk (or almond milk), but the soup would be thinner and less creamy.
Dawn
Do you think I could use bone broth instead? Thank you.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Dawn, Yes, absolutely! Any kind of broth will work.
Danielle
How did it work?
Jacky
Hi, Can you make a video? Thanks.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Jacky, Yes, absolutely! It’s on my list for this fall.
Lily
Hello. I just made this and it poured out to 8 cups.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Lily! I’ve been meaning to update the serving size – that’s what I thought it was but needed to re-measure. I’ll update it now!
Debbie Bailey
Thank you for the recipe!! I made this last night. I made two changes – I diced a medium onion and sautéed with the garlic. And I added two dashes of nutmeg. I also chopped the broccoli really small, but didn’t put through blender. It was wonderful!!! Definitely making again.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Debbie! The onion, garlic, and nutmeg are great additions.
Rachel
Delicious!! I made it with finely shredded (or fancy) cheddar cheese from a bag , and it worked well. I also added ham. So delicious! With and without ham! Thank you.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Rachel!
Isabella
Hi!! I am wondering how much is a serving size? Is it calculated with 1 cup of the soup? Looking forward to try this tonight.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Isabella, One serving is 1/8 of the recipe, which should be approximately a cup, maybe even a little more. It’s on my list to measure exactly when I make it again. Thank you!
Angel
I couldn’t get it to thicken… it was super runny. Any suggestions?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Angel, I haven’t had that happen before, but if it’s not thick enough you can just melt in more cheese.
Bridget
I am so new at counting carbs. Per my doc… I am diabetic. MUST count carbs. I am LOST! Searching for low carb recipes. Help! Your soup sounds delicious! Any breakfast recipes?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Bridget,
You’ve come to the right place then – all the recipes on my site are low carb, and the nutrition info is listed for each recipe to help you count carbs. (Most people can count net carbs, meaning total carbs minus fiber and sugar alcohols, but you can check with your doctor to be sure.)
I hope you enjoy the soup.
I do have lots of breakfast recipes. The recipe index here has a breakfast section. A few reader favorites are low carb granola, low carb pancakes, and low carb bagels.
Daniel
That happened to me and I took out the broccoli then put everything else into my blendtec and it came out perfectly! Most amazing soup ever! All of my kids loved it too.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Daniel! I’ve done it that way, too. I even included this method in my recommendations above the recipe card. 🙂
Lynn
Not as thick as I’d like, but DELICIOUS!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Lynn! To make it thicker, you can always add more cheese, OR puree some (or all) of it.
Jessica
Oh my that sounds like delicious add ins! I was planning on making that tonight. Thanks for the suggestions!
Melanie
This was delicious!! I made a couple additions (onions with the garlic, sautéed in butter), some chopped leftover rotisserie chicken (So I don’t have to hear “where’s the meat”) and I garnished with bacon and green onions. It was a HUGE hit. I scooped the broccoli out of the broth into a bowl, added the cream and the cheese a little at a time while whisking, then added the broccoli back once it was smooth. Worked really well.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Melanie! I love those additions!
Sheryl Honeycutt
While I am currently seriously counting carbs I am grateful for these recipes, however, my only complaint is that most of them don’t tell you how many servings are in the recipe and the size of the serving. This recipe looks delicious and I see there are 8 servings, but how big are the servings? It is easier on casseroles and pizzas as you can visually divide it equally, but in skillet dinners and soups, it is hard to know what one serving is. A cup? Half cup?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Sheryl, All the recipes do list the number of servings at the top of the recipe card. I try to list a specific serving size for most of them, but some of the older recipes don’t have a precise amount listed – I need to go back and re-measure when I make them again. For newer recipes I aim to be more specific. This soup made approximately 8 cups, so a serving is about a cup.
Folwart
Too much heat is likely the culprit of the cheese clumping. You don’t want to get it too hot, it can cause the cheese to seize. A light simmer should be sufficient, not a full boil.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Folwart!! I hadn’t run into this problem so it was difficult to troubleshoot the clumping issues that some others were having. I’ll add this tip to the recipe card.
Coco
Yummy recipe! I prepared mine a little bit differently, but it turned out great. I started by preparing the broccoli separately – cooking it with water for about 15 minutes and then draining in a colander and kept to the side. I then sautéed then garlic with a tiny bit of oil and then added chicken stock, heavy cream and cheese. I then took about half of the broccoli and pureed it in my blender with a couple of ladles of the soup liquid. Once the cheese melted a bit I mixed in the pureed broccoli. I added in onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper, to taste. I added a couple of sprinkles of powdered parmesan cheese too. When the cheese completely melted I added in the broccoli florets. I let it simmer for a bit longer and then took it off the heat. I garnished my bowl of soup with some shredded cheese. So good for a low carb option!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Coco! This sounds like a great variation for a more pureed soup, and also a great option for anyone struggling with the cheese melting.
P.J.
Can you use plain yogurt (not the sour Greek kind) instead of the heavy cream?
Can you use a can of coconut milk that has coconut cream in it since that’s thick?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi P.J., Coconut cream or canned coconut milk would work great. (The thicker, the better!) I wouldn’t recommend using yogurt, because even regular plain yogurt has some sourness to it, and also because yogurt is prone to curdling more than heavy cream is.
Anna
The recipe clearly says pre shredded cheese works because of the cellulose….and if you have to shred the cheese yourself to add arrowroot powder or cornstarch to the cheese before adding it to the soup…to prevent clumping
hollybowan
Hi! I just made this and I was licking the spoon! 🙂 I used my immersion blender to smooth things out. Also, I threw in a little nutritional yeast. It all came out very thick and flavorful. If you use pre-shredded (fine) cheese, it melts very easily.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you! An immersion blender is a great option for a smoother, thicker soup.
Tessa Hack
I just made this for my dinner, and the flavor is SO good. However, the cheese ended up in little bitty chewy chunks… it coated my spoon and made the overall texture very unappetizing. I’m not sure what I did wrong. I used pre-shredded cheddar cheese, added it in several small batches while stirring constantly. I removed it from the heat when it looked melted. As the soup cooled it clumped even more. Any idea what happened?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Tessa, I’m glad you liked the flavor. It sounds like the cheese didn’t melt fully (since you still had chunks of cheese left). I’d suggest cooking it for longer until it melts completely.
Abby
I had the same kind of gritty texture issue as you Tessa, I don’t think its a melting issue, I thought maybe I should have added a cheese that melts to a smoother texture but didn’t know what kind.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Abby, Sorry you had issues with the texture. It sounds like either the cheese didn’t melt fully, or the heat was too high and it seized. You’ll want to check my tips above the recipe card! 🙂
Kelleigh
This is seriously the best cheddar broccoli soup I’ve ever had. I’m currently pregnant and have gestational diabetes so I have to be so careful about my carb intake! I’ve already make 2 double batches. My husband and I both thank you for the recipe! 🙂
PS. The only seasonings I added is white pepper, salt and garlic powder in addition to the recipe. SO good! thanks again.
🙂
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you so much, Kelleigh! And congratulations!
Sarah
Yum! I hate when people rate a recipe but alter the crap out of it, but I definitely used this has a base recipe. I sautéed onions and mushrooms with the garlic in a little bit of butter, and added salt and pepper. I also cut the recipe in half since it’s just hubby, me, and our fur baby.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Sarah, I’m glad you liked it and am always happy to hear about how variations turn out for people. Sauteed onions and mushrooms sound like delicious additions!
Amy E.
Made this for dinner tonight. It was delicious!! Had no issues w/the cheese clumping. I added a half of a shallot as well. Only issue is that I’ll have to double the recipe next time or make something else to have with it. Other than that it was DELICIOUS!!! Thanks for posting!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
You’re welcome, Amy! I’ll have to try adding the shallot next time, too.
Christina
I’ve found if you whip the heavy cream prior to adding it to soup it helps thicken it up. I made a REALLY good potato soup that way. Still comes out well without whipping it but it just seemed to make it soo much better! Try it next time. 🙂
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Christina, What a great idea! I haven’t tried that but I’ll bet it will be extra thick and creamy that way.
Cheri Newton
Btw, I also added a wedge of The Laughing cow Creamy Spicy Pepperjack cheese to give it a little bit of extra flavor.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
What a yummy idea! I love anything with a kick.
Cheri Newton
I just made this and I love it! I took one suggestion of adding a tsp of corn starch and had not issues with the cheese clumping. I shredded a block of Tillamook Medium Cheddar and the flavor from that is great. I used frozen broccoli and it was fine. This recipe is great for my Ketogenic diet.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Cheri! I love it, too.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
That’s a great idea for anyone having the clumping issue. Thanks, Patti!
Deanne Wierman
I have learned the hard way that you need to use quality cheese. Cheap cheese globs instead of melting. Also, use low sodium broth or it’s too salty. Have had to throw away a few batches.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you for the tips, Deanne!
Janice King
Since I have a tendency to not totally follow recipes, and the broccoli and shredded cheese I bought was more than the recipe called for… and not wanting to waste any of it, I used probably 4 cups of cheese and 2 12 Oz bags of broccoli and it turned out great. Oh, and I had some Velveeta queso cheese and added some of that too. But even before I added the queso, mine wasn’t nearly as yellow as your picture. I used mild cheddar cheese, could that be why? Oh, and I added some garlic-pepper for seasoning. Great recipe!
Alene
Should I use sharp cheddar or mild?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Alene, Feel free to use whichever one you like better. 🙂
Janna
I don’t understand the people having issues with the cheese melting. All I did was add the shredded sharp cheddar cheese normally by the handful. I stirred between two or so handfuls and continued stirring until melted. This is a super rich and yummy soup that is super easy to make. Some of these comments are reminiscent of a novice cook. Cheese will melt eventually people!!! It’s cheese. I picture people dumping in the cheese and hoping it will miraculously dissolve and spread itself throughout the liquid ingredients. Stir, stir more and you will love this soup 🙂
Nikki
I followed the directions perfectly and my cheese was a big clump… it’s not my first rodeo and I was disappointed it wasn’t thick and creamy. Had to take the big clumps out, and add velveeta and more broccoli. Flavor was good, just runny.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Nikki, It sounds like the cheese seized. Try the tips in the post above the recipe card.
Jessica
Any idea how many carbs in one serving?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Jessica, The nutrition info is at the bottom of the recipe card – 4g net carbs per serving.
Dina
This was easy & so delicious! I used pre-grated cheese & it melted easily. Thank you!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Dina! I’m glad you liked it!
Jessica
I added a block of cream cheese and a dash nutmeg, delicious!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Yum! That sounds amazing.
Kristy
Wasn’t a huge fan of this recipe. I followed all your instructions and the cheese still sunk to the bottom in a big clump like some others have experienced. I used bagged, shredded cheese too. Not sure why yours doesn’t do that, but I don’t plan on making this again.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Kristy, I recommend reducing the heat when adding the cheese, and make sure you only add a little at a time, stirring constantly. As another commenter mentioned, high heat can cause the cheese to seize and clump as a result.
Christina
Absolutely delish. Better than any at restaurants. I added crabmeat to mine today. Tomorrow maybe chicken and mushrooms!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you so much, Christina! I love your ideas for adding crab meat, chicken, or mushrooms. Need to try those variations, too!
Patti
I was having the same issue with the cheese clumping. I added very small amount at a time and stirred a lot. I ended up throwing everything in the blender and it worked like a charm!
Michelle Lubbers
Broccoli soup will always be my favorite. It takes a bit to talk myself out of “the way we used to do it”, or does it? Cheese usually fixes that. Can’t be more thrilled to try this soup!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
It’s one of my favorites, too!
Lisa Smith
Add a couple tablespoons of arrowroot powder while cooking. Made it perfect 🙂
Teshia Renee
I ran out of chicken broth. Can I use water?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Teshia, I haven’t tried using water but don’t think it would work as well, since the chicken broth provides flavor. Any other kind of broth, like vegetable or beef, would work fine, too.
Patti Pili
Maya – outstanding recipe! I used the bagged kind of Cheddar from Tillamook and Sargento, but they did have 1 carb per 1/4 cup. Is this factored into the original nutritional count?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Patti, Thank you!! My nutrition calculator factored in 1.5g carbs per cup of shredded cheese. But, nutrition labels for packaged shredded cheese often round up (anything over 0.5g per 1/4 cup serving would be labeled as 1g), meaning there may not be a full gram in there and it’s likely pretty close. Either way, the difference would amount to a fraction of a gram per serving. That kind of discrepancy usually isn’t enough to sway your diet (or blood sugar) one way or the other. Still, if you want to calculate exactly, a more precise way to do it would be to weigh all the ingredients (use 113g = 1 cup for the shredded cheese), enter those into a nutrition calculator, and then divide by the number of servings.
Amanda Evans
If using block cheese maybe use some almond four stirred into it to help it seperate and melt. She mentioned the bags worked better because of something like this. This would be how I would help it.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Yes, exactly! I suggested arrowroot powder in the recipe notes but almond flour could also work. Thank you, Amanda!
Mary
I am going to try coconut milk instead of heavy cream. Then take some out of the pan, blend it and put back into the rest of the chunky soup. This should make it a little creamier.
Liz
Made this last night and it turned out so great. I did not see the part about pre shredded cheese, so I followed the note, shredded my own block of cheddar, and ended up tossing it in Bobs red mill gluten free 1:1 flour (which actually includes xanthan gum). I really thought this soup would be thin, but it was so thick and creamy! I’m wondering if it’s because of the flour that I added to the cheese. Either way, so so yummy! I also sprinkled the cheese in just a tiny bit at a time, like not even a handful, and just constantly stirred until it was all melted in there. Never stopped stirring while adding the cheese. Then removed from the heat immediately like the instructions said. I was really impressed with how thick this was. Just like Panera’s! Ate it with a toasted gluten free bagel to dip in the soup. So good! I might add some chopped onion with the garlic next time, or maybe some Italian seasoning or something for a dash more flavor. But either way this was so yummy!!!
Robin Gibbs
Love cream of broccoli & cheese soup. I saw the note about the shredded cheese in the bag – I use that all the time & it melts really well. I also use cream cheese but cut into small cubes. I have even used the whipped cream cheese with chives or chives & onions, or you can use the Garden Veggie flavored. Absolutely delicious!!
Jinkie B
Great recipe. I added mushroom, bacon and chicken to mine. Came out really good.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you! Those sound like delicious additions to make it a full meal.
iy
Yum!
Dena
Amy, Can you tell me if this worked and at what point you put in the Crock Pot? Or did you make the whole thing in a Crock Pot?
Virginia Limon
I’ve been back and forth and can’t seem to find an answer. Is heavy cream the same as heavy whipping cream? If not, can you post a picture of heavy cream? I can’t find it in my grocery store!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Virginia, They are almost the same. Technically heavy cream has a slightly higher fat content compared to heavy whipping cream, but they are close. I use them interchangeably in all my recipes that need cream. Both will work in all of them, including this one. So, feel free to use either one that you can find!
Rosi Fowler
Absolutely delicious. I am new to low carb. My husband and I both loved this. Thank you.
Allison
Can this be made in the crockpot? 🙂
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Allison, Sorry I missed your comment until now! I haven’t tried making this in the Crock Pot. You’d probably need to stir a few times for the cheese to melt. Let me know how it goes if you give it a try!
Katrina
I made this in a crockpot and it worked great. I added the broccoli and vegetable broth only and cooked on high for 4 hrs. When the time was up I added the cream and cheese. The cheese blended nicely and it turned out really good. I dont like garlic so I left that out but I added fresh chives, salt and pepper and red pepper flakes.
Kim
I made this tonight – my husband and I LOVED it! I was in a hurry and bought the already minced garlic at the store, failed to read the directions and put probably 4 times the amount I should have. I won’t make that mistake again, but I still loved it anyway! Filling, gooey, some crunch with the broccoli – so awesome!
Christine
How did it work in the Crockpot? I wanted to try it that way but wanted input first.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I haven’t tried it in the Crockpot. I think should work, but can’t say for sure without testing. You’d need to allow plenty of time for the cheese to melt since the temperature is so much lower than the stovetop, and would probably need to stir a couple times after the cheese is added. I’d love to hear how it went if you try it.
Darla
I just tried it in the Crock Pot today and I’m not sure if I did something wrong, but it curdled and now I have no idea how to fix it. Shame if I have to throw it all out.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Darla, The Crock Pot instructions are a subscriber exclusive that you can get by signing up for the email list at the top of this page. Thank you!
Claudia Hape
Hi, am making this as we speak!! Just wondering how long it will keep for, and is able to be frozen?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Great – I hope you like it! It should keep for a few days, maybe a week max. Freezing should also work, but I haven’t tried it.
Elysa Michelle
Used the bacon grease to sauté the garlic, too.
Elysa Michelle
Did you use heavy cream with 1g carb or the one that has 0 carbs? Wondering because I’d like to think if I use the 0 carb that it could be even less carbs total. Also, I just added bacon. Yum!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Elysa, My nutrition calculator says heavy cream has 2.79g carbs per 100g of cream – this isn’t brand specific in general. A cup of heavy cream is 238g, so the total carbs (from the cream only) in the entire recipe is 6.64g. Dividing that by 8 servings, the cream provides 0.83g carbs per serving. The rest of the carbs are from the other ingredients (mostly from the broccoli).
The reason you see differences in brands is due to rounding. The serving size is usually a tablespoon and many companies round to a whole number of grams (0g or 1g in this case). They may be doing some rounding to begin with as well, increasing the error slightly prior to dividing by number of servings. A tablespoon is 0.063 cups, so technically a cup is 15.873 tablespoons (rounded to 3 decimal places). Based on this, the exact amount per tablespoon of cream should be 0.418g (which is 6.64g per cup/15.873 tablespoons). However, depending on how they round (or possibly if they have any stabilizers in the cream), they may come up with something slightly over 0.5g. The FDA guidelines for rounding say they can round down to 0 if <0.5g or round up to 1 if >=0.5g. This is where the differences in brands come from. This was a long explanation but the short answer is I wouldn’t worry about those differences since they are very small. I do always get pure heavy cream without stabilizers, but the reason for that is not carb count.
By the way, bacon sounds like a delicious addition! I’ll have to try that.
Lorraine Forster
Any time I have added bacon to a soup, the texture of the bacon turns out tasting like pieces of bubble gum in the soup. Most unappetizing. Is there something I am doing wrong because I like the flavor bacon gives but cannot stand this texture in soup.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Lorraine, I haven’t experienced that before. Are you making sure the bacon is crispy before you add it in?
Katesfan
So I made this tonight! It tasted very good. I have some notes, but I should reiterate that it was awesome and I’ll be making it again.
The final product was a fairly thin soup. Thicker than a broth, for sure, but not a velvety, creamy cheese soup. I tried to thicken it up by adding more cheese, but next time I may add some xanthan gum or something(??). Despite adding quite a bit more cheese, this recipe made about 7 cups of soup (7 cups by the markers in my pan and ~56 oz by weight), which is less than I was anticipating, so be aware of that if you’re expecting 8 1-cup servings. I’m sure this varies by the person. All the cheese seemed to melt fine, no unwanted clumps, but as I ate it I noticed my spoon and mouth/teeth becoming coated with melted cheese, probably just a byproduct of being a low carb/minimal ingredient dish; there aren’t starches or a roux to homogenize everything.
As an entree, this served me and my partner with about 3 cups leftover. I know I sound down on this recipe, but I just ran into some issues making it. It was still very delicious and definitely a keeper. All the satisfaction of a restaurant broccoli cheese soup with way fewer carbs! Saved for future dinners.
Ticonderoga
What’s the serving size? I want to add it to my calorie tracker. Thank you!!! 🙂
Maya | Wholesome Yum
One serving is 1/8 of the recipe, which should be approximately a cup, maybe even a little more. Another reader asks this above and I will measure the serving size more precisely next time I make the soup.
Helena Zielinski
You say to saute the garlic for one minute, but the recipe does not include any butter or oil. Did you just put minced garlic into a dry pan, and if so, how did you keep it from burning? If you used butter, could you please update the recipe and nutritional information?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Helena, I just used a light spray from my olive oil mister (I use this one because it avoids chemicals of store bought ones and still sprays really well). The amount wasn’t really enough to add as an ingredient, but you can use more if you like. If you pour oil or use butter instead, the nutrition impact would depend on how much you use. Any online calorie/nutrition calculator would be able to calculate the amount based on how much you used.
Kelsey
I am going to make this tonight, but I am going to used cottage cheese instead of cream, and add hamburger to it. Do you know how many people this feeds. I would be interested if it feeds 4 with leftovers?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
It makes about 8 servings (1 cup each), so there would probably be leftovers if each person has a serving. Just a note – cottage cheese will result in a less creamy soup since it probably wouldn’t smoothly melt into the broth. Adding hamburger sounds like a good way to make it a full meal!
Amy
Going to try it in a Crock Pot.
Flap
Not a great idea. I found the crock heat and time issue made a huge mess. The broccoli was too crunchy for my taste, the cheese separated into a huge blob, edged with greasy residue. Cooking it too long took most of the flavor from the broth. Next time, I’m giving the crockpot a rest and doing it the old fashioned way. One side note: The more expensive cheese grated from a solid piece wasn;t worth the effort. Disappointed. Glad it wasn’t a “company” plan.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi there, Thanks for the info – the original recipe was on the stove and I haven’t tried the Crock Pot yet. If you wanted to try the Crock Pot, I don’t think you can just dump everrything in and cook. You’d have to cook it without cheese first, and then melt in the cheese at the end. That would be how I would try doing it if using a Crock Pot, but haven’t done that yet. It does work well on the stove as written.
Ashley
Delicious!!!
Wondering what are the nutritional facts?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Ashley, The nutrition facts are at the bottom of the recipe card (above the comments).
Jean Gunter
What is the sodium count per serving?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Jean, unfortunately, I don’t have that information available. If you put the ingredients into an online nutritional calculator that should help you.
Kellie
I love this soup! I have made it twice and use frozen organic broccoli from Costco and it is awesome!! I also put it in the blender on blend for like ten seconds…YUM!!!
Taylor
Can I use milk instead of heavy cream?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Yes, you can. Of course the nutrition info will be different (lower calorie but higher carb count). The only thing to watch out for is be careful simmering (don’t get the temperature too hot), to avoid the milk curdling. You may want to add the milk in the last few minutes instead, as milk will curdle more easily than heavy cream. Otherwise, the main difference is the soup will be a little thinner. Hope this helps!
Ashley
Just made this for lunch and it’s absolutely stellar! I’m new to keto so simple recipes like this are a huge help.
Marilyn
This recipe is great, replaced some of the garlic with shallots and some of the cheddar with provolone and some of the broth with Pilsner. Still had some clumping, maybe use cornstarch slurry or something, but an awesome simple recipe with lots of room to deviate!
Sandi Waller
Can the broccoli be frozen?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I haven’t tried it with frozen broccoli but it should work. You may have to adjust the cook time in step 2 – just simmer until the broccoli is tender. Let me know how it goes if you try it!
Becky Ellis
I made this soup for a party with some of my gluten free friends using frozen chopped broccoli and adding frozen broccoli cuts close to the end. I thawed the broccoli overnight in the fridge so it was just cold when I put it in the soup. I also used half and half instead of the cream. It got rave reviews and several people asked for the recipe. I used pre-shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese and it melted perfectly. I added it in batches and stirred constantly. The soup was every bit as good if not better than recipes I’ve made that took more ingredients and a lot more time.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
That’s awesome, Becky! I’m glad everyone liked it!
Dee
I had the same issue with the cheese as Shannon did – with the cheese clumping at the bottom of the pot. I shredded it really fine and stirred it in a bit at a time, even tried putting back on the warm burner, but it still clumped. It’s still delicious this way, but it would better if I could figure out the issue. I used a just purchased block of cheese that was very fresh. Could it be that it was too fresh?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you for the feedback! I didn’t have this issue, but since a couple of people mentioned it, I updated the recipe to instead keep heating until the cheese melts. Just remove from heat as soon as it melts. Hope this helps!
Michelle Ochs
Mine was on the heat the whole time and still didn’t melt all the way. Will add it next time while the cream and broth are heating.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Michelle, There are tips above the recipe card for melting the cheese. I don’t recommend adding the cheese with the cream and broth, because the cheese will likely overheat and seize.
Paula j Anderson
I used finely shredded and it turned out great!
Valerie V
I used cheese I shredded and had in the freezer, however what I did when I read the comment and tips on melting the cheese, I put the HWC (heavy whipping cream) in a sauce pan and heated it up on medium heat, then when it was hot I put all the cheese in at once and kept stirring and it came out creamy and wonderful, almost like a cheese rue, but without the flour, turned out beautifully, then I added it to the broccoli, garlic and broth, turned out excellent.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Valerie! That’s a great idea!
Sukhi
This was awesome! So I used frozen broccoli because that’s what I have on hand. I partly steamed the broccoli because I was short on time… took it out and then added the pre-shredded cheese. It clumped like people have said theirs did. I took it off the heat and used my immersion blender and the clumps melted. It was thin. So I added the broccoli back it and simmered again… I did blend a few times to thicken it up. And then I added a handful of cheese and stirred it off the heat… thickened right up! Almost like Panera Bread’s!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Sukhi! Great tips!
Stephanie
Substitute Velveeta for the Cheddar cheese. Makes a big difference.
Amanda
Velveeta is not keto compliant.
Patricia Polster
I just made this soup tonight, and it was delicious. I do recommend adding the cheddar cheese while the heavy cream and broth are still simmering. The cheese melts really well that way.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thanks for the suggestion! I originally didn’t have any issues with the cheese melting right after removing from heat, but a couple of people mentioned they had a hard time with it. I updated the recipe to remove from heat after the cheese melts instead.
Donna Walker
So I was wonder if this can be frozen? Any ideas?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I haven’t tried it. Dairy tends to change texture when frozen, but sometimes it works for recipes that are reheated (like soup). Let me know how it goes if you try it!
Linda Nielsen-Haynes
I have frozen this soup with no problem. Just heat slowly and defrost in refrigerator.
Cindy Barnett
If you have a Seal-A-Meal or similar unit you can put the soup in their (simmer-able) bags and freeze. When ready to eat, throw the whole SEALED bag into hot water and simmer until hot. I do this with lots of stuff like creamy soups, chicken & noodles, mac & cheese – things that are kinda gross in texture when reheated in the microwave or on top of the stove. I bought my first Seal-A-Meal in the 70’s and just received my 4th one in the mail today. Very seldom use the microwave anymore.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Great tip, Cindy! I’ll have to check that out!
Tillie
Freezing will change the texture of the broccoli, so if you want to freeze it, I’d recommend to puree the soup before freezing. Try freezing a small amount first to test if you are comfortable with the texture before freezing the whole lot.
Amy
Thanks so much, Maya! I’m new to the low carb thing and am measuring everything! 🙂
Amy
How much is a serving size? 1 cup?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Amy, One serving is 1/8 of the recipe, which should be approximately a cup, maybe even a little more. I’ll try to measure the exact amount next time I make it. Thanks for asking!
Shannon
Made this last night. Was so excited because I love broccoli cheese soup! When I added the cheese it did not melt fully but ended up in a gooey glob on the bottom. Any suggestions? I grated the cheddar from a block. I pulled the glob out and it was still fairly good just not very cheesy.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Shannon, I would recommend adding the cheese in batches a cup at a time and constantly stirring as you add it. Also, make sure you leave the soup in the pot after turning off the heat, so that you don’t let too much heat escape. If the soup cools off too much, the cheese won’t melt. You can heat it slightly to help it melt if it’s still not working, but I’ve never had to do that in the dozen or so times that I’ve made this. If you work quickly and in batches, stirring constantly, it should melt from the hot soup itself. Hope this helps!
Tillie
If all you have is fresh cheese, try adding a small amount of cornstarch to the cheese and blend to eliminate the possibility of cheese clumps.
Jaycee
Is Kraft cheese good enough for this soup? In my country, there are limited options for cheese, and I don’t really like Kraft.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Jaycee, Yes, that will work fine.
Rebecca Martinez
Mine came out clumpy too, very disappointed.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Rebecca, There are some tips about this in the post above the recipe card.